


Conspire to Ignite

by PixelGalaxies



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: (More tags to be added later) - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Post-Canon, Post-Dark Side Of Dimensions, Prideshipping, Romance, Smut, post-dsod
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-01-31 08:47:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 52,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18587824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelGalaxies/pseuds/PixelGalaxies
Summary: Kaiba has successfully broken all known laws of the universe, and is finally residing in the afterlife with his most cherished rival. Now if only he could stop having these pesky feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

Seto Kaiba was having a good day.  
  
No, scratch that. He was having a _fantastic_ day. Seto Kaiba was having a fantastic day. Maybe the best he’d ever had.  
  
After all, it wasn’t every day a mortal successfully broke the laws of reality itself.  
  
And, really, that hadn’t even been the best part. Kaiba had known as soon as he stepped out of his pod that he had been successful. Egypt stood before him in all its glory beyond the dunes, ancient and almost blindingly bright, stretched out before him in a never ending sea of blue and gold. People, as vibrant and alive as anyone milled about marketplace as he strode towards his goal, eyes fixed on what he knew had to be the palace. If anyone had gawked at the obvious newcomer, Kaiba hadn’t noticed. If any guards had attempted to stop him, he paid them no mind. This place and its impossible existence meant nothing to him unless he found who he was looking for, and Kaiba _knew_ he had to be here, could almost feel it in his bones as he passed by the palace’s ornate columns and halls. For all the kings in all the world, deep down, Kaiba believed that there was only one person truly worthy of the fuss.  
  
And then, just like that, he and the object of his every desire were staring each other down across the throne room.  
  
Kaiba had dreamed about this. Obsessed over it, some people would say, although in Kaiba’s opinion, anyone truly worth their salt would find themselves haunted by the thought of encountering their greatest rival again. The scene before him was dreamlike, and at the same time all too real as the pharaoh— _Atem_ , he had to remind himself—rose from his throne. He was different than he was the last time Kaiba had seen him, which was to be expected when you no longer inhabited the body of a 15 year old runt. The man who stood before him now was darker, more regal, and yet in some way every bit as Kaiba remembered him. After all, he knew that smug look on his face _anywhere_.  
  
No words were needed, Kaiba knew, leaning forward in preparation for the fight he’d been dreaming about for ages now. They had a _score_ to settle.  
  
“ _Halt!_ State your business with the pharaoh!”  
  
...Well. Good to know there were annoyances in the afterlife too.  
  
Frowning, Atem waved his guards off, prompting them to put down their spears. “It’s alright. I know this one.” Stepping down from his throne, he moved towards Kaiba, smile firmly back in place as they locked eyes again.  
  
“Kaiba,” he said, coming to a stop. “It’s been a long time.”  
  
“Spare me the small talk!” Kaiba growled, a joyous kind of adrenaline coursing through his body. “You know what I’m here for.”  
  
“Of course.” Atem turned back to his baffled guards, giving them a sharp nod. “Dismissed.”  
  
“But sir—“  
  
“ _Dismissed_.” There was no malice in his voice, but his authority as pharoah was clear. Boredly, Kaiba watched as the guards filed out of the room, more than one tossing suspicious glances his way.  
  
“Guards, in the afterlife? Really?”  
  
“This world is in many ways in imitation of our previous life.” Atem hummed, seemingly more relaxed now that they were alone. “They guard me because it was their wish to do so. I expected you of all people to have done some reading before coming all this way.”  
  
“Please, I’ve done my research.” Kaiba drolled, unimpressed. “Frankly, I’m just disappointed. Is this truly what you do all day? Sit in this room while they protect you from non-existent threats?”  
  
Atem was already giving him a little smirk. Obnoxious. “Do you truly think so little of me? You should know it takes a lot more than status to _excite_ me, Kaiba.”  
  
“Oh, I’m well aware.” Kaiba snorted. “I’m also aware that _no one_ here could challenge you like I can.”  
  
“Are you sure about that—“  
  
“Enough talk!” They were wasting time. Springing to life, Kaiba fell back into his offensive stance, thrusting a finger towards his rival. “ _Pharaoh!_ I’ve come here to _challenge you!_ ” He activated his duel disk system, the glow of the hologram doing nothing to hide the manic gleam in his eyes. “You may have thought you could run from our rivalry by escaping here, but I’ve managed to claw through the veil of death to find you! You’ll duel me, right here, right now, and I’ll defeat you on your own palace floors!”  
  
“Kaiba...” Atem murmured, before that coy smirk fell back in place. “Of course, I accept your challenge! However, I can’t say I understand how you expect me to duel you now. Sadly, I didn’t bring my cards with me.”  
  
“Don’t play dumb.” Kaiba tsked, forcing down a strange surge of bitterness. “You continue to underestimate me, pharaoh. It’s almost like you didn’t expect me to find you.”  
  
“Of course I expected you.” Atem’s look was knowing, almost warm. “In fact, I’ve been anticipating your arrival. This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to come here, is it?”  
  
Fuck. He was talking about his initial attempts to reach him, when he faced off with the Prana girl. Kaiba _knew_ it hadn’t been a hallucination. Another victory.  
  
“Very astute, pharaoh. I’ve been working around the clock, dreaming of this very day, pushing my body to its limits just for the chance to defeat you again! I was told it couldn’t be done, and yet here I am.” With flourish, he drew a small item from his coat and hurled it Atem’s way. “Consider yourself lucky that I always come prepared.”  
  
Unaffected, Atem caught the object in one hand, sliding it on to his arm near automatically before looking down to study it. Muscle memory, Kaiba assumed. Eyebrows drawn together, his face took on a rare expression of surprise when the holographic menu appeared before him. “A duel disk?”  
  
“Kaiba Corporation’s latest version. It includes a new solid vision system, and neural links that taps into the user’s memories for the holograms.” Kaiba explained evenly. It wasn’t that he wasn’t proud of his technology, but the pharaoh was right *there*, duel disk in hand, and his heart was pounding so hard it nearly hurt. “Your virtual deck should be in there already.”  
  
“I see. Impressive.” Atem grinned, sifting through his options with an ease that was almost comical in contrast with his “ancient 4000 year old pharaoh” garb. Satisfied that everything was to his liking, he fell into a fighting stance, the hologram displaying his life points coming up before him. “Kaiba, I accept your challenge! I won’t hold back!”  
  
“You better not,” Kaiba smirked, and it was taking all of his willpower not to tremble with anticipation. This is what he had been fighting for, had _dreamed_  of. Countless sleepless nights, failed experiments, the endless amounts of research, the anger, the frustration—all of it, he decided, had been worth it as he stared at his rival before him. He stood there, as proud as ever, more infuriating and exciting and _perfect_ than any AI could hope to be. “I didn’t come all this way just for you to prove yourself unworthy of me.”  
  
“I never intend to.” And just like that, for a split second it was like he was Yugi again. Like they were in Domino City, and nothing had changed. Like he had never left their realm without a backwards glance.  
  
As far as Kaiba was concerned, it would make beating him into the ground all the sweeter. “My turn first! _Draw!”_  


 

* * *

  


  
Under the pain of death, Kaiba would never admit to being relieved to lose. But right now, he was relieved to lose. It was just as he had suspected—winning against a hologram didn’t make him feel nearly as much fire as losing against the real thing did.  
  
They had dueled for what felt like hours. It could have been days for all Kaiba knew, as immersed as he was. He staggered backwards as Atem unleashed his final attack, encasing the throne room in light and bringing Kaiba’s life points back down to zero for what felt like the fiftieth time. It was humiliating. It was exhilarating. It felt _real._  
  
“I win.” Atem stepped forward, looking typically satisfied with himself. “I’d ask if you’d like to go another round, but your face tells me all I need to know.”  
  
“Shut up. You’re as infuriating as ever.”  
  
Atem barked out a laugh at his retort, the sound of it echoing through the halls. “And you haven’t changed a bit. Still so stubborn.” There was that look again, that look of genuine warmth he had been greeted with when they had first come face to face again. “I missed you, if you can believe that.”  
  
“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Kaiba grunted, hauling himself back to his feet with some effort. He felt strangely dizzy, although whether it was from the adrenaline of the duel or Atem’s admission remained to be seen. “I’m still going to wipe the floor with you one day, mark my words.”  
  
“I have no doubt. You’re as worthy of an opponent as ever, Kaiba. Thank you for the game.”  
  
“Hmmm.”  
  
They stood in silence for a minute, neither of them sure of what to say. Kaiba was loathe to admit it, but with the duel over, he felt tired in ways he had never felt before. It took all his energy not to sway where he stood, and his feelings of lightheadedness seemed to be getting worse by the second. He supposed it was to be expected, having put his body through such a strain, but it was still unnerving to him. Maybe he just needed a breather.  
  
Finally, Atem spoke. “You’re not going back tonight, are you?”  
  
Kaiba blinked. Now it was his turn to laugh. “Of course not. Did you really think you were going to get rid of me that easily? For now, this was a one-way trip.”  
  
To his rival’s credit, he didn’t look *too* surprised, although some degree of shock was evident on his face. Kaiba wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “You really came all this way, without any hope of returning?”  
  
“Sorry, *crossing dimensions into the afterlife* isn’t as easy as crossing the street. I’d have to recalibrate my ship—it took me ages to even get this far.” The all too familiar crawl of irritation took over him again. “Not that it matters. I already told you I’m not leaving until I get what I came here for.”  
  
Atem simply studied him, eyes searching. There was a mile of unasked questions between them, questions Kaiba was far too tired and dizzy to answer at the moment. Yugi—no, the pharaoh had always been too adept at reading him for Kaiba’s personal comfort, and as thrilling as it was to be in his presence again, he wanted nothing to do with his mind games right now. It should have been enough to Atem that he was here at all.  
  
Whatever answer he had been looking for, he seemed to accept whatever he found for now, inclining his head in almost a bow. “Understood. I’m honored, Kaiba.”  
  
“Don’t let it go to your head. I haven’t even figured out if you have a place for me to stay in this sorry excuse for an afterlife.”  
  
“The palace has guest rooms, if that’s what you’re asking.” Atem rolled his eyes, the expression comically petulant for how regal he looked otherwise. Turning, he mentioned for Kaiba to follow him with a jerk of his head. “I’d ask if you brought any supplies you’d like to retrieve, but you look dead on your feet.”  
  
Kaiba huffed, making a move to follow him. “Hilarious... coming from you.” The world around him seemed out of focus, almost unnaturally bright, and he was having a hard time walking in a straight line. Had the trip truly weakened him so much? Or was this a side effect of losing as many times as he had in one go?  
  
“Death jokes, now?” Atem’s form was starting to blur in front of him, blending together in a mass of cream, gold, and magenta. Kaiba’s feet felt like they were made of lead. “I expected better of you, Kai—“  
  
It all happened so fast. One moment, Kaiba was upright and the next he was on the ground, the stone floor feeling like ice against his face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a fresh wave of anxiety, something was wrong, he had to stay awake, but darkness was closing in on his vision. He thought he heard someone calling his name, somewhere in the distance, and he attempted to crawl towards it. The last thing he saw was his own outstretched hand before everything faded to black.  


* * *

  
  
When Kaiba awoke, he didn’t know where he was. He was on a bed—that much he could discern—and the room was dark, with only two dim light sources to confirm that he wasn’t in a cave. His vision was still blurred and his body felt like it was on fire, despite the sweat he could feel sticking to his skin. He felt disoriented, like he had been displaced somehow.  
  
Groaning, he pushed himself upright against his pillows, blinking rapidly to clear the spots in his vision. He was in a large bed, white linen sheets pooling around his body. The room around him was large, and encased him in golden-brown stone—Atem’s temple, that’s right, he was still in Atem’s temple—with what appeared to be a small balcony in front of him, and a doorway to his right, where most of the light was coming from. Kaiba attempted to move towards it, only to be struck by another bout of dizziness and collapsed back into bed, swearing under his breath. Outside, he could hear faint murmuring and footsteps—guards, he assumed. They must have been instructed to watch over his room.  
  
Dazedly, he found himself feeling grateful that he was still seemed to be a part of the netherworld at all. The moment he thought he’d felt everything slipping away from him had been one of the most terrifying of his life.  
  
“Good morning.”  
  
Jerking his head up, Kaiba squinted towards the doorway. Atem was standing there, backlit by the light of the hallway, face a mixture of trepidation and relief. He appeared to be holding a cup in one hand and a large bowl in the other. Kaiba’s response was an eloquent grunt.  
  
“You scared me for a while there,” Atem said, moving towards the best and setting the two items on a nightstand nearby. Kaiba eyed them warily. “I thought all that death talk had summoned the real thing.”  
  
“Death wishes it could claim me.”  
  
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You’re here, aren’t you?” Atem lifted a hand, pressing it to Kaiba’s forehead and causing him to hiss against the touch. It felt like ice. “You have a fever.”  
  
Disoriented as he may be, Kaiba managed to huff out a laugh. “Some afterlife this place of yours... is. I thought this... was supposed to be paradise.”  
  
“For _us_ , it is.” His rival—friend?—hummed. “You aren’t exactly meant to be here. But you know that, don’t you?”  
  
“Mmph.”  
  
Sighing, Atem reached into the bowl he’d set down, pulling out a wet cloth. After squeezing out the excess water, he dabbed it carefully against Kaiba’s forehead. Kaiba tried his best not to wince against the sensation. Everything felt harsh, and intense, and the simple act of breathing felt like a laborious task. He couldn’t even find it within himself to protest this treatment—every muscle in his body was screaming at him to lie still.  
  
Once he was satisfied that Kaiba had cooled down at least a little, Atem set his cloth down. “That’s what this is about though, isn’t it? Your fever? Your body is against you being here.” Biting his lip, he looked unsure for a moment before moving on. “There was this... sand? Coming off of you in the throne room. I hadn’t noticed it while we were dueling, but it was pouring from your fingers.”  
  
Of course. Kaiba closed his eyes, resigned to his fate for once. He had wanted to avoid this situation all together, but there was nothing else for it now. “When I tried to come here... the first time, I almost died.” He spoke through shaky breaths, feeling the cold press of the cloth return to his forehead. “That girl... the Prana... told me there was a way to get here. I didn’t... think. I didn’t have to.” Cracking an eye open, he peered at Atem. “She was right. I saw you as I tried to break through the barrier.”  
  
Nonplussed, the pharaoh nodded. “I sensed you, as I said. I knew it was only a matter of time from that point on. I’ve never known Seto Kaiba to give up on anything.”  
  
Kaiba almost cracked a smile at that. “Wise words.” He mumbled. “But it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t... ready. Mokuba was the one who pulled the plug and brought me back.”  
  
At that, the hand on his head stilled. Kaiba didn’t bother looking over this time. He knew what was coming. “Does Mokuba know about this?”  
  
“Of _course_  he does. He was there when I left.”  
  
“No, I mean...” Atem’s gaze flitted about the room, before landing back on his patient. “Does Mokuba know you’re _here_ ? For good, as far as you know. You told him and he was fine with that?”  
  
Gritting his teeth, Kaiba was almost surprised at the flash of anger that washed over him at that. The _pharaoh_ , of all people, was going to lecture him about leaving without a word? _Really_? “If you think Mokuba is weak enough to go to pieces after five minutes without me, then you are sorely mistaken.” He managed to bite out, chest heaving. “Mokuba is more capable than... anyone you’ve ever known. I gave him... the company. I entrusted _everything_ to him. He will be fine.”  
  
Atem actually looked surprised for a moment, letting the words hang in the air between them. Kaiba kept his gaze firmly on the ceiling. He was exhausted, he was shivering, and he was _not_ going to have this conversation right now. Mokuba knew the risks of his invention, and he refused to have an argument with someone who just went and died without telling anyone. After a long beat of silence, Atem seemed to accept his terms. “I see.”  
  
Kaiba heard the sound of the cloth being placed back in its bowl and what seemed to be a long-suffering sigh from Atem. In a petty sense, he was glad he could still get under his rival’s skin after all this time. “Alright, I’ll let your business stay your business. But we need to address this fever thing.” Raising himself up, Atem crossed his arms, looking far more kingly than he had previously. “Your body is obviously fighting against you being here. _I’m_ more than willing to welcome you in, but I only have control over so much, and how this dimension reacts to an invading, physical being isn’t one of them. You said you almost died the first time you made contact with this place—what was it you did differently this time?”  
  
“I prepared myself... physically, to lessen the strain on my body. I adopted a new diet, and I forced myself to train whenever I wasn’t working. I needed to know that my body wouldn’t... break apart once I decided the time was right.” Kaiba said, looking down at himself. Atem’s gaze followed his, lingering on the now well defined muscles in his chest before snapping back to his face. “I thought this would be enough. Apparently, I miscalculated.”  
  
“No, this is good,” Atem replied. “After you collapsed, none of us knew what was going on, outside of the fact that you seemed to be disintegrating, of course. We decided to try to force some water down your throat. Once that was done, the disintegration seemed to fade away.” Reaching over to the cup he’d placed next to the basin when he came in, he handed it over to Kaiba. More water. “We wanted to try some healing magic, but we weren’t sure how your body would respond.”  
  
“As you should have. I don’t want any of that done to me without my permission.” Kaiba sniffed, taking a sip. It was surprisingly good.  
  
“I figured.” Atem chuckled. To his credit, he only looked only a little exasperated. “So our working theory is maybe your physical body just needs time to adjust to the environment. I’ve instructed my staff to continue bringing you fresh food and water throughout the day until your fever goes down. I’m not sure what you’re able to stomach, but we’ll start light and work up to more substantial foods once you’re stronger. I know better than anyone how stubborn you are, but I suggest you accept the hospitality.”  
  
So they were going to essentially force his body to accept this new world in increments. It all sounded annoyingly time consuming, but Kaiba was running out of options. He hadn’t exactly had a _plan_ when he got here—he had just wanted to duel the pharaoh again, see him again. It had been worth it, _more_ than worth it, but Kaiba had known the possible consequences. The only thing left for him to do now was show those consequences where to shove it.  
  
Letting his eyes fall shut, he nodded. “Yes, doctor.”  
  
He heard a tiny huff of air that always indicated Atem’s amusement, and felt the cloth return to his forehead. “Alright, then. I’ll have someone come by later with some bread and water. I have guards positioned outside your door, so please let them know if you need help.”  
  
“Leaving so soon?”  
  
“Mmmm.” Atem hummed, looking at him with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “You gave my people quite a scare earlier. I had spoken of you in the past, but I don’t think they ever truly expected you to come. I need to explain the situation to them.”  
  
“Be sure to let them know that our... _ferocious_ upcoming duels are not to be interrupted.”  
  
“You can count on it.” Atem nodded, turning to leave. “Feel better soon, Kaiba.”  
  
Kaiba listened to the soft footfalls the indicated Atem was leaving the room, already feeling sleep weighing down his eyelids. He hated having to lie here, hated not being *busy*, but failure to do so would mean being separated from this world all over again. He wasn’t about to let that happen. Cracking one eye open, he glanced at Atem’s retreating form. “Hey, pharaoh.”  
  
The footfalls stopped. “Yes?”  
  
“Don’t you usually have underlings to do this sort of thing?”  
  
This time, Kaiba could practically _hear_ Atem rolling his eyes. “My _servants_ , Kaiba. And yes.” Pausing, he seemed to mull something in his head over before glancing back over his shoulder, his ever-familiar smirk gracing his features. “But in this realm, what I say goes. And friends don’t count.”  
  
And so Atem left him, hot and sweaty and more miserable than he’d ever felt in his life. It would be a while before they could duel again, he knew deep down. For the first time in his life, his mission was to focus all of his energy into rest, so he could be at his very best for when they could finally face off again. It would be hard. It would be _worth_ it.  
  
Sighing, he turned over into his pillow, mulling over Atem’s last words to him. _Friends, huh…_

  
Just before sleep claimed him, he grinned. He was going to kick his ass someday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey Siri, define “self care”

  
Kaiba had never caught anything worse than a minor cold for as long as he could remember. Despite being known as a bit of a recluse when he wasn’t hosting tournaments or advertising new products, he took his health seriously and had the money to hire the best personal trainers and dietitians anyone could buy. He ate well, exercised, and stayed _inside_ whenever flu season came around. His staff had often remarked that he was superhuman. Kaiba felt he was just being practical. Any time he took off work was time _wasted,_ time he could be using to build, to invent, to plot. He refused to get sick. He couldn’t afford to get sick.  
  
Now, as far away from his old life as he could possibly be, Kaiba felt like he was dying.  
  
His fever had stubbornly refused to go away. If anything, it had gotten worse, leaving him jolting from a restless sleep, alternatively sweating bullets or shaking like a leaf. Every part of him ached. He had thrown up once, in a vase he was pretty positive wasn’t there for such a purpose. Worst of all, he was having nightmares again, horrible dreams he could never remember, but felt the full effects of every time he woke choking from his sleep. His body that he had trained so hard for this felt like it was literally trying to tear itself apart. In a way, he guessed, it was.  
  
In his more lucid moments, he could feel himself being cared for. Atem had stayed true to his word—every time he woke groaning or shouting, he’d almost immediately hear approaching footsteps, or felt hands cradling his face. More than once, he’d had water forced down his throat. It _hurt,_ and all he wanted to do was throw them off—had he been stronger, he definitely would have tried—but he knew it was something he’d have to put up with for the sake of his existence here. The “sand”, as Atem had put it, seemed to reappear whenever he was in the most pain, although how much of it was hallucination he couldn’t be sure.

One thing he was sure of: this world didn’t want him here. He was an anomaly, like invading bacteria upon a healthy body. If he lost his willpower to stay for more than a second, it was all over.

 

Most of the people who helped him were faceless aides, but he thought he had seen Atem a few times through his delirium. The pharaoh had usually just looked at him, like a visiting ghost standing against the light that poured in from the hallway. Sometimes he said things, only the words were too muffled for Kaiba to make out. Other times, he could see him speaking lowly with his staff and peering over him worriedly. Kaiba was never sure when he was real or a hallucination—after all, he’d had a seemingly endless string of dreams about the man since his departure. What were a couple hundred more, at the end of the day?

 

...Okay, the one where he woke up to see Atem stroking Blue Eyes was definitely a dream though. Seto wasn’t _that_ far gone.

 

Still, he couldn’t help but hope he was there. It gave him something to hold on to as he rode out the waves of misery. As the week passed, everything seemed to come to a crescendo. Each breath was heaving and hard fought. Sweat coated his body in a near constant sheen. He swung violently between temperatures, and a pain so deep it made him want to cry out against his teeth. He needed it to just fucking _end_ already, because he wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what this godforsaken place had to say about it, and he willed his desires with all of his might.

 

He had to fight. He had to _win._

 

And then, one day, everything stopped.

 

* * *

  
  
  
Kaiba woke to the soft light of morning streaming in from his balcony.

 

The first thing he noticed was the pain—or rather, the lack of it. For the first time since he’d arrived here, the pain was gone.

The second thing he noticed was he felt really, _really_ hung over.

  
Grunting, he turned over. His head was pounding, and everything was overly bright. For a moment, he almost forgot where he was, but eventually his eyes adjusted and he realized with a swell of victory that he was still in… alternate Egypt? The Field of Reeds? He had never gotten to ask Atem exactly what he called this place.

 

Whatever.

 

The point was that he was alive, and at least semi-lucid. No nausea, no fever. With a start, he remembered the true cause of his suffering and threw the covers off of his body, only to realize that there was no need. Any effects of the disintegration were, for the time being, almost completely gone. The only thing left was the distinct sharpness of hunger and a feeling he’d just returned from a thrilling trip through hell. Kaiba was a naturally suspicious man, but even he couldn’t stop the tiny flare of hope inside him at seeing his body completely normal for the first time in ages.

 

Was it over? Had he done it?

Well. Only one way to find out.

  
Slowly, carefully, Kaiba forced himself out of bed. He was wobbly—for the first time in his life, he felt like he might be just _slightly_ too tall—but he wasn’t toppling over either. One step forward, then another. Before long, he was striding across the room, composed as ever, and he nearly laughed in his triumph.

 

This. This was why he was unstoppable. Fate could go _fuck_ itself.

 

Reaching the doorway, he stepped out, attracting the attention of the two guards who had been standing watch outside his room. They startled, and turned to look at him, eyes widening at his appearance—gaunt and more pale than he’d ever been before, yet somehow as manic-eyed as he’d ever been. His hair was standing up on one side of his head. He’d have to fix that.  
  
“I want a bath.”

 

* * *

 

  
As expected, his request had been immediately granted, although not before one of the aides was called over to poke and prod at him some more. Kaiba had half a mind to track down Atem and tell him off for letting his servants become so nosey—his own staff would have never dreamed of it—but forced himself to remain relatively compliant. He wanted to bathe more than he ever had in his life, and he was pursuing it with the single minded determination of anyone who had ever spent god-knew-how-many-days-in-bed fighting off dimensional decay. Which had only been him. But soon enough, he was cleared to go and escorted to the royal baths.  
  
At least, he had to assume it was the royal baths. It was gigantic and private, more the size of a swimming pool than someone’s bathtub, and surrounded by ornate, decorative columns. Once he was sure he was alone, Kaiba shed his clothes and stepped inside, unable to suppress a small groan as his body was enveloped. Somehow, the water was the perfect temperature. Kaiba almost never allowed himself indulgences like this.

 

It felt wrong somehow, but after enduring what had to have been over a week of hell, maybe it was just what his body needed. 

  
Once he felt like he had washed away most of the filth, he stepped out of the baths and reclothed himself. He had been right, as usual. He was already feeling much better. Toweling off his hair, he made his way out of the chamber, where one of the guards had quietly been standing watch. The two shared a glance.  
  
“I’m hungry.”  
  
The guard gave him a sort of knowing look that Kaiba wasn’t sure he cared for. He supposed their king’s annoying attitude was bound to rub off on his staff sooner or later. “Pharaoh Atem thought you’d say that. Come.”  
  
He was lead to a sprawling courtyard, complete with exotic plants, a large fountain, and a view of the country even Kaiba had to admit was impressive. Seated against the fountain, sitting cross legged, was Atem, and Kaiba stopped dead in his tracks.

 

Since his arrival, he had only ever seen Atem in the dim light of his throne room, or the near total darkness of his room. This was his first time seeing him in the sunlight, and it was here the situation he was in hit him full force. He was so different, yet so bizarrely the same. Gone were the tank tops, the jeans, the leather choker. Here, he looked every bit the pharaoh he was, adorned with so much golden jewelry that he sparkled with every movement. It was almost blinding, how much he shone. The Millenium Puzzle around his neck—the very same one Kaiba had fought so hard to reassemble—was the only thing that tied the pharaoh to his memories of the person he knew, or at least, the person he thought he knew.

 

Ancient Egyptians, he remembered, thought of their pharaohs as gods. Looking at him now, Seto thought dimly, he could see why.

 

At the same time, his mannerisms—the way he looked distractedly bored, the way he was sitting on his no doubt expensive royal cape—showed him he was every bit the man Kaiba remembered. He was truly here, sitting in broad daylight. It was probably the lingering exhaustion, but Kaiba felt almost dizzy.

  
“Kaiba! I’ve been waiting for you.” The pharaoh practically chirped, visibly perking up once he’d noticed him. Before him was a low table, adorned with so much food there was no way it could have just been for one person. “Come here, please join me for some breakfast.” He nodded to the guard, who bowed and promptly left them alone.  
  
Kaiba carefully sat down, mimicking Atem’s posture. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his lingering “illness”, or if it was just the situation in itself, but everything felt surreal. Sitting down. Eating breakfast with Atem. Like they were both normal people and he hadn’t almost died and Atem wasn’t _already_ dead. He stared at him blankly, silent.

  
His rival, on his part, seemed undeterred. “How are you feeling?” He asked, cocking his head. “We were worried you weren’t going to make it.”  
  
“Like I‘ve been run over by a truck.” Kaiba deadpanned, grimacing at how hoarse his voice sounded. His bath had helped, but he was still more tired than he could ever remember being.  
  
“I’m glad. That means you’re alive.” Atem smiled, letting himself relax in his seat. “Tell me, how did you do it? My priests and I thought we would have to step in with magic if it went on much longer, yet here you are.”

  
And _god_ , Kaiba was tired, but he couldn’t resist giving him a little smirk. “The same way I do everything. I bent the rules. I persevered. I refused to let anything claim me I didn’t want to let in.”  
  
Atem returned his look, and there it was, that connection, that understanding he had craved so much. No one else had ever come close. “Spoken like a true duelist. I’m glad you’re alright, Kaiba. Are you hungry?”  
  
Kaiba’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food. Embarrassing, but frankly he was too hungry to care. Laid out before him was an assortment of breads, fruit, meat, and a cup full of some thick, caramel colored liquid he couldn’t quite place. His eyes roved across it shamelessly—he had never been more hungry in his life. “I only hunger to defeat you.”  
  
Regret flashed across the pharaoh’s face. “I would love to take you up on that, but unfortunately, I can’t in good conscience accept your challenge until I know you’re physically well.” And Kaiba _knew_ that would be his answer, but it didn’t make it sting any less. “Just yesterday you were bedridden—I want to face you again just as badly as you do, but Duel Monsters is out of the question until I know you won’t collapse at my feet.”  
  
“It’s been _days_ since I got here.” Kaiba grit his teeth. He was being petulant, but he hardly cared. “I came here with a mission, and already I’ve wasted so much time. I’m not about to collapse over a mere game. Are you seriously expecting me to just _relax_ now that I’m awake and functioning?”  
  
“I said I had to turn down your request to play _Duel Monsters,”_ Atem responded, eyes glinting with mischievousness once again. “I didn’t say we couldn’t play a game.”  
  
Reaching under the table, his rival pulled out... a circle. Or at least that’s what it looked like at first. The object was small, but ornately decorated, with markings resembling a coiled snake swirling to the middle of the board. Atem set multiple, teal player pieces among the edge of the board, before pursing his lips and gazing at him expectantly. Kaiba furrowed his brow, recognition flashing in his eyes. “Mehen?”  
  
“I’m impressed, Kaiba. You truly _did_ do your research.” Atem smirked, clearing a space on the middle of the table and pushing the board between them. “I’ve attempted to play this with my aides in the past, but without a real challenge, it gets old after a while. Do you know how to play?”  
  
“Of course not.” Kaiba scoffed, trying not to look defensive. He had researched how to play, once upon a time—purely for reference—and had repeatedly come up short. The rules and gameplay had been lost to time, like many ancient traditions. Seto was sure he could have figured it out if he put his mind to it, but it had seemed so trivial and archaic compared to Duel Monsters that he never bothered trying. “No one does. I never thought it would be necessary to find out, being a citizen of modern day Japan.”

  
“Then I’ll let you have the honor of being the first modern man to learn.” Atem mirrored his position, crossing his arms again and looking down his nose at him. Challenge was written all over his face. “What do you say? Care to join me?”  
  
Kaiba stared at him. Any other time, he would have been insulted. Here was his greatest rival, the man he had ever so slowly began to accept as his friend, denying his challenge to play the greatest game in the world because he thought he was weak. He should have been angry. Once upon a time, he would have been _furious._ Even if his rival was right, he was Seto fucking Kaiba and he did _not_ need to be coddled.  
  
But, god, the look Atem was giving him. It was the same look he gave him every time they dueled, cocky and annoyingly confident, the one that always made Kaiba’s heart pound. It was the thrill of the fight, he thought, the one he had never been able to find in anyone else. And this, he knew, was a compromise. Something that friends apparently did for each other. Kaiba _hated_ compromise.  
  
...Maybe just this once. As long as he could keep Atem looking at him like that.  
  
He smirked. “You’re on.”  
  
Atem flashed him a grin, looking like he’d won already. “Alright. I won’t go easy on you just because you’re sick. _Please_ eat something though, my high priest commands it.”  
  
“No one tells me what to do.” Kaiba growled, taking an unnecessarily aggressive bite of an apple.

 

* * *

 

 

They played for a long time. The rules turned out to be relatively simple, and the game itself was relaxed enough that Kaiba was able to eat inbetween turns. He was loathe to admit it, but the food here was _delectable—_ whether that was because it was idealized afterlife food or his own body’s need for something to tether him here remained to be seen.

 

Atem, on his part, had been quiet, speaking up only to give him some tips here and there, though he seemed to approach the game with as much focus as he did anything else. Kaiba felt like he was in a fever dream. Here he was, in ancient Egypt, playing _board games_ with his greatest rival, and he was doing it _willingly._ It wasn’t nearly as exciting as their duels, but the challenge was still there, crackling between them like electricity every time someone made a move. It was bizarre. It was ridiculous. It was, somehow, exactly what he needed.

 

Distracted, he took a sip from his cup, only to reel back in surprise as the flavor and texture hit him. He wasn’t much of a drinker, despite trying his fair share of alcohol even while underage—after all, no one was around to stop him—but the taste was unmistakable. “ _Beer_?”

 

“Egyptian, yes.” His rival chuckled. “It was the drink of choice here. I never had it in your world, but I assume it’s different? Your move.”

 

“You could say that.” Kaiba snorted, moving his player piece across the board. “For one thing, we don’t usually drink it first thing in the morning. Two, not nearly as thick. This is… it has the texture of—“

 

“A smoothie?” Atem chimed in brightly, seemingly pleased he remembered. Had Kaiba been less composed of a man, he might have laughed. Seeing someone, who for all intents and purposes was more ancient than most museum relics, casually reference every day modern conveniences suddenly seemed a lot more absurd when he actually looked the part for once.

 

“A disgusting, watered down, alcoholic smoothie, yes.”

 

Atem huffed. “Yugi was fond of them, back then. I was too.” And just like that, his entire expression changed, that look of enjoyment suddenly replaced by an intense, bittersweet nostalgia. Kaiba would almost call it _sadness._ Before he could even process it, it was gone again, back to the carefully light expression that he suddenly realized was forced. “How is my partner, anyway? I only got to speak with him briefly when we saw each other again in that arena.”

 

Kaiba’s jaw tightened, and not just because he could tell he was falling behind in the game. He had known that question was coming eventually, but that didn’t mean he had to be happy about it. “How the hell should I know?”

 

“You were fighting with him, weren’t you? I could feel it.” And damn him, it was obvious he was only vaguely paying attention to the game now, incensing Kaiba further. “I don’t even want to _ask_ what that was about, by the way. Something you did?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“That’s a yes on that, then.” Atem roll his eyes, as if cataclysmic, nearly world ending events were a minor annoyance that Kaiba caused him—which, to be fair, was about par for the course for the both of them. “But really, how is he? Has he been eating well? He’s grown very handsome.” He was leaning forward now, eyes alight with curiosity. “Have he and Anzu started dating yet?”

 

“What the fu—why on earth would _I,_ of all people, know anything about Yugi Mutou’s love-life?” A beat. “No, she left for America right after she graduated.”

 

“Really? Ahhh, my poor partner _._ He always was too shy for his own good.” And there was that look again, masked by his usual, light smile, all nostalgia and fondness and regret _._ Kaiba swallowed down something bitter rising up in his throat. “That’s good though, that she made it. What about everyone else? Honda? Bakura?” And, the slyness practically _dripped_ from him at his next words, " _Jounouchi?”_

 

“ _Dead,_ hopefully.”

 

“ _Kaiba!”_

 

“Fine, fine, _fine,_ everyone is _fine.”_ Seto growled, shoving his player piece forward with way more aggression than he was sure the game called for.  “Listen, what do you take me for? I was never a part of that obnoxious friend group of yours, I don’t keep track of their every move.” Blatant lies. He was also barely paying attention to the game anymore, surprising himself with how worked up he was getting. “If you want to know so badly, then go back and ask them _yourself!”_

 

Atem actually looked taken aback. Kaiba knew he had struck a nerve. His rival had always been so unflappable, so proud, but he knew from experiencing that threatening any of his friends was a surefire way to bring out the force of his anger. He had seen it time and time again, how self sacrificing he was, how protective. As much as he disliked them, it was a weakness—and in some ways, a _strength_ —that Kaiba almost understood. He’d had his feelings for his brother used countless times against him, after all. So _why_ then?

 

_Why did you leave?_

 

If Atem was angry, he wasn’t letting it show, although his expression was colder than he had ever seen it since his arrival. His eyes bore holes into Kaiba, a look he easily returned. This was familiar ground for them, after all. After a tense silence, Atem turned his attention back to the game, moving his piece easily before sitting back on his haunches, quirking one proud eyebrow at his opponent. “I win.”

 

Seto rolled his eyes. “Imagine that.”

 

“Kaiba,” The other man sighed, clearing off the game board. His face was regretful again, and Kaiba didn’t like seeing it. “I appreciate your concern. But this is another challenge I can’t meet.”

 

“Why not?” Kaiba shrugged, trying his best to look nonchalant after his outburst. “You’re clearly capable. You came back for _Yugi,_ after all.”

 

“Yugi and I worked _together_ to save everyone. I just gave him a helping hand. My partner is _more_ than capable.”

 

And there it was again, that protective streak he never quite let go. Seto wasn’t really sure why he worried so much. It was obvious to anyone who looked at him that Yugi was far from the weakling he once was. “Yugi is a worthy duelist. My intention wasn’t to insult him.” He soothed. “I simply wanted to know what kept you away for so long when your friends clearly wanted to see you.”

 

Atem looked away. Kaiba was startled at the vulnerability he exuded, an emotion he wouldn’t have associated with his rival in a million years. “The reason I can’t come back… is the reason you’ve already described.”

 

“What?”

 

“You said it yourself—everyone is fine.” Atem smiled, ruefully. “I wasn’t forced to leave, Kaiba, it was a choice destiny made for me. When Yugi won that ceremonial duel… I knew then that leaving was the right thing to do. The _respectful_ thing to do, for his sake and mine. My partner needed to be able to stand on his own two feet, without my shadow looming over him.”

 

Somehow, this wasn’t the answer Kaiba had wanted to hear. “That’s ridiculous. _Fate_ isn’t an immovable thing. I’ve proven it, you proved that yourself when you came back.”

 

“I came back because I sensed a great disturbance, and I knew all my partner needed was a push to help fix it. My presence was neither a distraction, nor would it steal the victory that was rightfully his.” He shook his head, golden earrings swaying gently. “Don’t you see, Kaiba? Everyone has moved on. Everyone is _happy._ I’m no longer needed there—they have the strength within themselves to achieve their dreams on their own. My return would only distract from that. It’s time they lived their own lives, without my burdens.”

 

Underneath the table, Kaiba’s fists clenched until the knuckles showed white. “That’s—That’s wrong.” He sputtered, thrown off balance for reasons even he couldn’t place. “ _You_ were the one who always preached to me about relying on others—“

 

“ _Kaiba.”_ Atem interjected, and when Seto met his eyes, he looked every bit the king that he was. His gaze pinned him to the spot, stealing the air from his lungs. “I stand by everything I said in the past. Relying on others is never a bad thing, but hindering their growth _is._ ” His face finally softened, although he still spoke with an air of finality. “I have the utmost faith in my friends. I ask that you do the same.”

 

Kaiba’s heart thudded in his chest so hard it made him dizzy. That was… that was it? He had come all the way here, and that was the answer to his question? What even _was_ his question? The sting of rejection was fierce, but he didn’t even realize he’d been asking for approval in the first place. Was Atem really telling him he should have just moved on—

 

“Please don’t misunderstand me—I meant what I said, when I said you were my friend.” Kaiba’s eyes snapped back to the other man’s face, and that smile was back again, the one he gave him when they were finally face to face again in his throne room. “I had a feeling you’d come to see me well before I sensed you reaching out. It’s clear you listened when I told you our road of battle was a long one. Please know that you’re welcome here as long as you feel you need to stay.”

 

And just like that, Kaiba came crashing back down to earth, relief washing over him so suddenly it was almost embarrassing. When had he handed his entire emotional wellbeing over to this man? He was going to have to rethink his priorities. “You make about as little sense as ever, _pharaoh.”_

 

“Well, as long as you understand.” Said pharaoh chuckled, and his laughter somehow filled the courtyard. “You’re looking a little less deathly pale already. What do you say? Best two out of three?”

 

There was still so much he felt like he needed to say. Mokuba probably would have pleaded with him to go back to bed and rest by now. Kaiba, however, could never resist a challenge. “As many times as it takes for you to beg for mercy _.”_

 

* * *

 

 

From that point forward, Kaiba started slowly but surely adjusting to his new sort-of life. Atem had all but ordered him to rest—something he instinctively ignored, of course—but although he no longer had a fever, he was still sometimes overwhelmed by bouts of exhaustion, and wound up complying a little more than he’d like to admit. Bed rest was something that he had never been accustomed to, let alone _sleep._ Sleep, in his world, meant a loss in productivity, more time spent vulnerable and out of the loop, so he had trained himself long ago to sleep sporadically throughout the night. To spend an _entire_ night sleeping was unthinkable for him, and he convinced himself he was only doing it to stop the disintegration process.

 

That said, the time he spent recovering was by far the most rested Kaiba had been in his entire life.

 

Once he felt well enough, he had set out to retrieve all of the supplies he’d taken with him on his ship, along with a few members of Atem’s guards. He may have been stuck in the ancient Egyptian afterlife, but Seto would be _damned_ if he gave up modern amenities, like, say, a toothbrush, or his notes on dimensional override, or his crystalline Blue Eyes White Dragon statue Mokuba had gifted him on his birthday, placed lovingly on the nightstand closest to his bed. (“Shall I have my staff repaint the room to match?” Atem had asked teasingly when he saw it. Kaiba had seriously considered the offer). Before long, his room started to look and feel like home.

 

The only non essential item he had taken with him was his phone. Kaiba had placed it in his nightstand, irrationally. It was useless here, but something in him wasn’t allowing him to let it go just yet.

 

And so, as his condition improved, he found himself easing into his new life slowly but surely—one that, for once, involved more self care than work. Within the week, he had all but stopped waking up to decay working its way through his fingertips, and he had the energy to move around the palace. He had taken up walks mostly as a way to help him get back into shape, and partially as a way to seize up his rival’s new home. It was only practical to want to know everything about him, he told himself. Anything that could be used as a weapon to defeat him.

 

It was during one of these walks that a familiar voice brought him to pause at the entrance of what he now knew as the garden. It was late afternoon—while he and Atem had taken to sharing most of their meals together, he hadn’t seen him that morning. He also didn’t really know what he did with the rest of his time.

 

Curious, he peered through the doorway—and was greeted by the sight of Atem standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with Dark Magician and Dark Magician girl.

 

At least, he was pretty sure that was who they were. Ninety-nine percent sure. Their skin was darker, and their clothes weren’t quite the same, but he knew those faces after staring them down across the playing field so many times. They were standing in front of a bush covered in buds, just on the precipice of blooming. His rival had his hand out, eyes hard with focus, while Dark Magician spoke lowly in his ear.

 

“You need to concentrate,” he was saying. “Visualize your desire, and pour all of your intent into it. Doing anything half-heartedly will never lead you to achieving anything.”

 

“Mahado, I swear to Ra, it would be easier to pour my _intent_ into this if you just let me do it…”

 

“My apologies, pharaoh.”

 

“I believe in you, prince!” Dark Magician Girl encouraged, only to be shushed by her male counterpart.

 

Atem nodded. “Here I go.” Raising his hand again, he let out a steady exhale, this time letting his eyes fall shut. Before long, one of the buds began to sprout rapidly, curling into a vibrant, deep red flower. _Magic,_ Kaiba thought, already feeling a headache coming on. The pharaoh, however, seemed downright exuberant, a bright smile coming over his face when he saw his work. “I did it— _oof!”_

 

Dark Magician Girl was, apparently, fond of taking her life into her own hands (Afterlife?), and Kaiba watched in amazement as she playfully leapt on to her king’s back, the startle causing him to overexert and the petals to swell, before popping like a balloon. The pair laughed like children as petals rained down around them, while Dark Magician watched on with an expression Kaiba had seen on his Isono’s face when he thought he wasn’t looking—long suffering.

 

“Mana, as I say time and time again, you should take your training more seriously. The pharaoh was trying to concentrate.”

 

“Oh, come on Mahado, we have all the time in the world to train.” The girl—Mana—giggled, hopping back to the ground. “We were just having a little fun. This is supposed to be prince’s reward, isn’t it?”

 

“ _Pharaoh.”_ Mahado corrected, sighing.

 

“ _Atem.”_ Said pharaoh chimed in, sharing a glance with Mana before the pair devolved into giggles again. Mahado, exasperated as he seemed, watched them with a look of fondness that was as obvious as it was private. Kaiba swallowed. He had friends. Of _course_ he had friends, he was the goddamn pharoah, he probably could have hired friends if he wanted. Before he could even weigh his options, Mahado finally seemed to notice him, shooting a glare his direction, a look Kaiba happily returned before he caught Atem’s attention.

 

“Ahhh, Kaiba! I didn’t see you there. Please, come in.”

 

There went his chance to get out of this unscathed. Composing himself, Kaiba stepped into the garden, making sure to keep his gaze fixed upon Atem. “You didn’t join me for breakfast this morning.”

 

“My apologies, I was eating with my father this morning.” Atem said, and it was that moment Seto realized _oh shit he has parents too._ “I haven’t introduced you to my friends yet, have I? This is one of my high priests, Mahado. He was the one who advised me while we looked after you.”

 

Mahado, despite his apparent life saving duties, seemed distinctly unhappy to see him alive and well, only giving him a small nod of acknowledgment. Kaiba nodded back.

 

His rival continued, unphased. “And this is Mana, Mahado’s apprentice. Mana, this is the friend I told you about?”

 

Before Kaiba even had time to process how strange it was to be addressed as _anyone’s_ friend, Mana, who had been staring at him wide eyed, decided to hop into his personal space, face only inches from his. He reeled back, aghast. “Prince! He really does look just like—“

 

“ _Mana,_ manners.” Mahado bit out. Atem managed to look even more uncomfortable, shaking his head urgently at her. Kaiba had no idea what was going on, and at this point, he was afraid to ask. The girl cocked her head in confusion at the pair before her eyes flew open wide, as if she remembered something she forgot.

 

“Oh, _right.”_ She grinned, tapping a finger to the side of her head. Turning back to Kaiba, she bowed deeply with flourish, lowering her voice in what he assumed was supposed to be an imitation of Atem’s. “My apologies, treasured guest.”

 

Mahado, on his part, seemed completely done with this conversation, already turning to leave. “Right. Come now, we’re leaving. We must give the pharaoh and his guest some privacy.” As he passed Kaiba, he shot him another icy stare that he thought was fairly unwarranted, brown eyes piercing. Kaiba glared back. Mana left skipping at his heels, tossing a bright “nice to meet you!” their way and a wave goodbye to Atem before the two of them were alone.

 

“Sorry about that.” His rival sighed, crossing his arms. “Mana is… _enthusiastic._ ”

 

“An impressive understatement.” Kaiba hadn’t had anyone outside of Mokuba greet him so excitedly. “Do I even want to know what she was about to say?”

 

“Probably not.”

 

“Then I won’t ask.” He snorted, stepping up to observe the flower Atem had so gracefully exploded. He had a feeling he knew what his answer would be anyway, and he _really_ didn’t need more random Egyptians telling him he was the reincarnation of an ancient priest. Kaiba had been here for a pretty significant amount of time now, and he hadn’t encountered any doppelgangers—he was fine with keeping it that way. Out of sight, out of mind. “I don’t think your priest likes me much.”

 

This time it was Atem’s turn to snort. “Don’t take it too personally. Mahado is… protective. We’ve known each other since we were children. He swore an oath to me, and I’ve never known Mahado to break a promise.” He sobered, something meaningful coming over his eyes as they met Kaiba’s. “You know who they are, don’t you? You recognized them.”

 

“Of course I did,” Seto huffed. “Your two Magicians. I’ve had to watch them humiliate me enough to know.”

 

Atem nodded, fingers tracing around his puzzle. “When my memories finally returned to me—I got to see everything those two had done for me. How much they had protected me over time. They never let me down, ever.” Kaiba felt a flare of something sour in his chest, but remained silent. “I know you’ve never been comfortable with magic _,_ but I hope you’ll be patient with them. This is stranger for them than it is for either of us.”

 

“I didn’t come here to _ruin your life_ , if that’s what you’re saying.” Kaiba retorted, rolling his eyes. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll play nice as long as I don’t wake up with my throat slit.”

 

“Mahado would never do that.” His rival chuckled, stepping forward to walk through the garden. Kaiba fell into step with him by his side. “Well, as long as you never give him reason to. But I thank you regardless.” Clasping his hands behind his back, he looked up at Seto, curiously. “How are you feeling today, by the way?”

 

“Good. Strong.” Kaiba replied automatically, feeling his heartbeat tick up a few notches. He knew what he wanted to say, he had asked for it nearly every day since regaining consciousness, only to be struck down every time. It was only reasonable, he _knew_ it was, but his skin was practically itching for it. “Strong enough for a duel.”

 

“Kaiba,” came the cautious sigh, and Seto had to bite back a frustrated growl. “You know we can’t until you’re fully recovered. I refuse to be responsible for any regression on your part, or _worse_.”

 

Considerate. Atem was being considerate, but it felt like he was holding him back. “It’s been over _two weeks_ since we last faced each other,” Kaiba ground out. “A week since I last saw traces of decay. I’m not made of _glass,_ pharaoh.”

 

“No, but you are mortal. I think.” Atem looked genuinely conflicted now, squinting up at him. “Honestly, I don’t know if we can classify you as living _or_ dead. Our religion has no precedent for someone mortal showing up in the afterlife.”

 

At this, Kaiba simply shrugged. “I strive to be unpredictable.”

 

“And what about our other games?” He continued, unphased. “Is Mehen not enough for you now?”

 

“No—yes—it’s fine.” Seto grunted. They hadn’t had a chance to play much since that first day—Atem always seemed to have ‘pharaoh duties’, whatever _that_ meant—but it was enjoyable in the way that facing off against his one and only rival was always enjoyable. “But it’s not the same.”

 

“I refuse to play any more _death games_ , Kaiba.”

 

“ _Pharaoh,”_ Kaiba rumbled, coming to a stop. His eyes were blazing with a familiar heat. Even if he couldn’t convince him, he was going to damn well try. “The thought of facing you again has haunted my every waking thought since I heard of your departure. Every inch of me, every molecule of my body yearns for battle. The thrill of imagining your face across the battlefield is what fuels me, what motivates me to heal.” He jutted up his chin for emphasis, looking down into those eyes. “I challenge you to face me here today! Let me show you the true force of my longing!”

 

His voice rang out through the garden. Atem stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before something like understanding came over his expression and Kaiba felt his heart _soar._ “You have to promise me to tell me if you start feeling off in _any way,_  even if it means a loss.” He said, with deadly seriousness. “I meant what I said: I won’t be responsible for a friend’s fall, not ever again.”

 

And for all his bluster, Seto knew all the way down to his bones that he meant it. Knew the significance of it, knew the acknowledgment of their past. As far as he was concerned, none of it mattered anymore, but the look in his rival’s eyes had him feeling pinned and exposed. Nodding resolutely, he said, “Fine. I promise.”

 

It was met with a smirk. “Then let’s duel.”

 

* * *

 

 

Explosions that rocked the playing field. Life points rising and falling. The deafening roars of monsters and dragons, casting wild shadows about the dimly lit room. The thrill of the _chase._

 

Kaiba had missed this.

 

Like all their duels, he had completely lost track of time. From what he could tell, the sun outside was beginning to set, but the world around them could have been crumbling for all he cared. The light inside the throne room was hazy, cleared of all guards ages ago, and Atem stood opposite of him, head held high in cool defiance.

 

Kaiba had _missed_ this.

 

The past couple of turns had been intense, enough to leave him panting with exertion. Both of their fields were nearly blank, leaving them with only the glow of their duel disks to study each other by. Their duel was reaching its final stages, he could almost taste it—his heart was pounding, limbs trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. Seto’s body may have weakened during his struggle with this world, but his mind had never better, never felt sharper. This was everything he had fought so hard for, the reason why he had bitten and clawed his way into this world he didn’t belong to, against the well meaning advice of even those closest to him. Nothing could ever match the feeling fighting with this man gave him, and every little taunt brought his mind into clearer focus and strengthened his resolve.

 

 _Fuck,_ he wanted this so badly. Something in the air felt different about this fight, and it was driving him crazy that he couldn’t place what it was.

 

“You never cease to surprise me, Kaiba.” Atem practically crooned, sending a jolt of something foreign down his spine. “I thought for sure this duel would be over by now.”

 

“Don’t attempt to _distract_ me,” he sneered, haughty as ever, scanning him wildly for any hint as to what might come next. “I won’t be bowled over by flattery! Take your turn!”

 

“Very well! I activate Dark Magical Circle! This allows me to rearrange the top three cards in my deck, and move _this_ to my hand—“ Another card drawn with flourish. “—my trap card, Eternal Soul!”

 

 _Shit._ Kaiba knew what he was going to do next, exactly which monster this card would allow him to summon from his deck. Atem’s propensity for Dark Magician was nearly as legendary as his own for Blue Eyes, and now he knew exactly why, how much he was truly bonded to it. Remembering Mahado’s piercing stare from earlier, he growled under his breath. He could _not_ let his rival summon that magician.

 

But Atem wasn’t done yet. “For my last move, I play Swift Gaia the Fierce Night!” On cue, the black stallion and his warrior reared to life in front of him, ready to strike. “ _Attack!”_

 

 _“Not so fast!”_ Kaiba roared, springing to life. He’d been waiting for this moment. “I activate my trap card, Counter Gate! Your attack has been foiled, pharaoh!”

 

He could almost hear Atem _tsk_ under his breath when his card did just that. He was seizing _him_ up now. “Well played.”

 

“Shut up. I’m not done yet.” The smirk on Seto’s face was wide, practically oozing with excitement. He knew what his rival was trying to do, and it thrilled him to his core, because he had exactly what he needed now. He had come so far for this—his deck wouldn’t fail him now. “I summon Vorse Raider, the fearsome beast-warrior!”

 

And just like that, Atem’s turn was over. Kaiba could almost see him strategizing now, his eyes darting this way and that across the playing field. Cornered. Surprised. He had never seen a nicer sight.

 

“Right,” He breathed, and it was only then he realized his voice was shaking. In spite of his excitement, in the back of his mind, Seto felt eerily calm, like something was speaking to him. Was it Atem? His deck? Taking a deep breath, he shouted “My turn! _Draw!”_

 

His heart nearly dropped into his stomach when he saw what it was. There was no way. There was _no goddamn way._

 

Since the beginning, they had always been evenly matched in skill. That was what made their duels so exhilarating—logically, they should be even in their amount of wins and losses, but there was _something_ about Atem. It wasn’t just his pride, or his intelligence, though he had those in spades. No matter what Kaiba did, no matter how flawless his strategies, he always, always lost. It was like some unwritten law of the universe. It defied all reason. Kaiba was sure _he_ would attribute it to magic, or destiny, or whatever he was blathering on about that day, but he had never believed it. There was just something about him, and it was what made him so intriguing. Before long, Kaiba had gotten addicted to the chase. Lesser people would probably claim it destroyed him. Here he was now, standing in the afterlife, neither living or dead, haven given up everything just to face this man again, in a place that had nearly destroyed him.

 

Those people were foolish. Seto had never felt more alive.

 

 _You’re lucky to have him_ , some quiet voice in the back of his head said.

 

“Kaiba?”

 

Jerking, he snapped from his daze. Somehow, everything still seemed further away from him than usual. “I-I play Lullaby of Obedience!”

 

The effect told hold, and his life points dropped to almost nothing as he paid the owed two-thousand. With this, he was granted the ability to declare one monster from his opponent’s deck. He knew what he had. All that was left to do was say it.

 

_You paid a whole lot more than that just to get to this point._

 

Atem knew it too. His eyes had gone wide in a way Kaiba had never seen them before, looking just as taken aback by the new direction of their duel as he was. There was nowhere left to run now. Whatever hold he believed destiny had over his victory had been relinquished. Straightening, the pharaoh crossed his arms, determined to keep going until the end. “And what monster do you declare, Seto Kaiba?”

 

Kaiba willed himself to stop trembling. “ _Dark Magician.”_

 

Atem gave him an odd sort of smile, drawing the card from his deck. He held it up, and watched as the virtual card faded from his hand and reappeared in his rival’s own.

 

 _This is_ **_it._ **

 

It was like everything in Seto’s life had been leading up to this moment. Maybe it really had. Mustering every ounce of mania, willpower, and desire that he had, he played Cost Down, discarding the extra card from his hand and tributing Vorse Raider for Dark Magician. The room filled with light as the magician attacked, defeating Swift Gaia in a blinding burst of smoke.

 

It was over.

 

_You’ve done it._

 

Kaiba didn’t even realize he was falling until the ground hit his knees.

 

Somewhere, distantly, he heard his name being called, followed by the patter of footsteps. His whole body felt numb. His vision was blurring, and he wasn’t even sure why until he saw tears hitting the ground. Atem drew up by his side, and he was surprised to feel a strong arm wrapping around his torso, steadying him. “Kaiba! Are you alright?”

 

The laughter started low in his chest, barely audible for the most part, before building in intensity and soon ringing throughout the palace. It was hysterical and triumphant all at once, and he threw his head back with the force of it.

 

“ _Pharaoh,”_ he rasped, looking up into his opponent’s face. “Pharaoh, I _won.”_

 

And Atem, his one and only rival, looked down on him with something he could only call pride. “You won.” He said. “ _Well played.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to this duel choreography goes to a very dear friend and YGO expert, without whom I would have died because I never learned how to play Duel Monsters ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You just beat your one true rival and one of your main reasons for living! What are you going to do now?!

“Tell me, _pharaoh:_ how unbearable is the sting of _defeat?”_

 

Kaiba had fantasized about this day. Dreamed of it. In actuality, it had only been a handful of years, but somehow, the chase to beat his rival felt like it had consumed his entire life. Like, somehow, everything he ever did was in order to get to this moment, that all those years of countless studying and perfecting his game were so he could beat the man currently walking beside him through the halls of his palace.

 

Amazingly, it felt even better than he could have ever imagined.

 

“Like I told you the last three times you asked, I’ve lost before, Kaiba.” Atem rolled his eyes beside him, having the grace to look only mildly irritated. “That’s the reason why I’m here at all.”

 

“Don’t remind me.”

 

It had been at least over an hour since their duel. After he had collapsed, Atem insisted on not letting him out of his sight until he was sure Kaiba wasn’t going start fading through his fingertips again, forcing him to eat and endure another inspection from one of his priests before he was let off the hook. Seto had protested, but Atem seemed unusually fretful over him, potentially even more so than he would have been had he lost, and it was late into the night before they exited the throne room to walk back to Kaiba’s chambers. Kaiba wasn’t really used to being _fussed_ over. It should have bothered him more than it did, but still riding high after his _first ever victory holy_ **_shit_ **, he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

 

He was happy. In this moment, he could admit that to himself now. In fact, he had never felt better in his entire _life._

 

“Come on, you have to tell me that felt different for you too.” He rambled on, still trembling in his ecstacy. He was being obnoxious, he knew, but he didn’t _care._ “I saw your face then. You looked surprised. You couldn’t believe it.”

 

“Your _victory_ certainly surprised me.” Atem replied, head held high and regal like Kaiba hadn’t just bested him at the game he held such mastery over. His smile was also serene, if not a bit exasperated. “Your complete mania upon realizing it has not.”

 

“Look who’s talking.”

 

“When was the last time you saw me indulging in mania?”

 

“You have to be kidding me. You’re the most obnoxious person I’ve ever met.”

 

“ _Now_ look who’s talking.”

 

The palace halls were quiet now, save for the slow, methodical sounds of their footsteps. The servants seemed to have gotten used to Seto wandering around and now stayed well out of the way, leaving the pair of them alone. It was something he’d craved and so rarely gotten until now, being alone with the pharaoh. Taunting him, having Atem taunt back, a private game only the two of them shared. Atem paying attention to him and only him. It was intoxicating.

 

Practically leering now, he whirled in front of his rival, enjoying how much he towered over him as he walked backwards. “Say it.”

 

Atem merely cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean.”

 

“Don’t play dumb.” Kaiba sneered, forcing them both to come to a stop. He wasn’t falling for the pharaoh’s innocent act. “Say it. Tell me out loud that I’m your greatest rival. Admit that this overshadowed all of your previous defeats, that the crushing weight of it will follow you through all _eternity.”_

 

Atem pursed his lips, giving him a withering look. _Pouting._ Kaiba almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all, before being taken off guard as his rival moved deftly around him, striding on ahead with his head held high. “I’ll do nothing of the sort. I learned how to take my losses long ago, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of pretending to be _sore_ over it. You’ll have to try a lot harder than that if you want to anger me.”

 

Kaiba swiftly caught up with him, looming over his shoulder. He was treading on thin ice, he knew, but his euphoria, his need to bask in this moment, was quickly overriding his common sense. He _wanted_ this acknowledgement. “Really, now? How do you suggest I do that?”

 

“You’re doing a pretty fair job of it right now.”

 

“ _Pharaoh.”_

 

“Kaiba.”

 

“ _Say it.”_

 

“Fine, fine!” Atem surprised him by barking out a laugh, turning to face him once they reached Kaiba’s bedroom door. Seto, suddenly, wondered if he had been preparing for this moment for a long time. “It was _fun._ Thrilling, as all our duels are. I wouldn’t call it a ‘crushing defeat’, but your duelist spirit came shining through.” He watched as his rival’s expression took on something more tender, more like the look he gave him at the end of their duel. “You’ve come a long way from our first meeting. I believed in you then, and today, you proved once again that I was right. And you know what?”

 

Kaiba, for a moment, was struck dumb. He hadn’t been expecting this, to say the very least. “What?”

 

“I’ll _always_ believe in you.” He watched, heart hammering, as Atem stepped forward, offering a hand that glinted warm gold when he moved it. “So, thank you, for a worthy duel, and for being a worthy opponent. You’ll always push me to do better.”

 

Seto considered the hand extended to him, throat feeling oddly tight. He had worked so hard for this, to have this duel—to see _him_ again—and he’d always wondered, if the moment ever came, if it would live up to any of his fantasies. When he was younger, more angry, it had been all about crushing his new rival underneath his heel, watching him crumble as he proved his own superiority. After he had recovered the pieces of his heart, their fights had become a test of his ideologies, a chance to prove his own righteousness—a test that crashed and burned without fail, challenging his entire way of thinking. Once he had been made aware of Atem’s passing, it became what he now knew was _grief,_ a boiling concoction of anger and pain that consumed his every thought, a mourning of missed opportunities. Sleepless nights, thinking of what could have been.

 

Naturally, he had refused to let that stand.

 

And now that he was here, right where he wanted to be, he realized that it had simply been to prove a point. To prove that he was _worthy_ , that all the work and sacrifice he’d put into crossing dimensions hadn’t been in vain. That if Atem thought he could forget him, he had another thing coming. Kaiba wanted to brand himself on his mind forever, in the same way Yugi had. Let him _try_ to escape him again. Let him _try_ to forget.

 

Now, amazingly, he knew that his cries had been heard. He had been acknowledged.

 

Finally, Kaiba allowed himself to smile and accept the hand offered to him, clasping and shaking it firmly. It felt small and warm in his palm, but just as strong. “Not exactly what I asked for, but I’ll take it.”

 

“Good. I’m not going to repeat myself.” Atem grinned, withdrawing his hand. They stood in comfortable silence for a minute, taking each other in. Something had changed between them now, a dynamic shifted, but it wasn’t an unwelcome feeling. He didn’t allow himself to indulge in such warmth for very long, usually, but he valued it just the same.

 

Gradually, though, something in his rival’s face shifted. His smile faded, eyes going downcast, and he drew himself up like he was bracing for something. Kaiba frowned, puzzled, but before he could say anything, Atem spoke up. “So. What are you going to do now?”

 

Seto blinked. “What?”

 

The warmth that had settled between them had dissipated, leaving something uncertain in its wake. Atem’s smile had returned, but there was something resigned about it now, and he was refusing to meet his eyes. “Well, you’ve done it now, haven’t you? You’ve accomplished your dream.” He said, slowly. “You made it here, you survived. I’ve been defeated. What comes next?”

 

Kaiba’s brain felt like it was full of static. “Next?” He repeated dumbly, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

Atem simply shrugged, finally meeting his gaze again with some effort. “I assume you had plans for after this. Is there anything you wanted to do now? I’m sure you must be missing home.”

 

Seto opened his mouth and snapped it shut again. His mind, normally so sharp, felt like it was caught on something. Home. Atem was asking him if he was going to work on going back, now that their duel was over. The world felt off balance, like someone had given him a good shove and he hadn’t found his bearings yet. And yet Atem’s eyes were boring holes through him, rooting him to the spot.

 

Because for once, he had no idea what to say.

 

_I never planned this far ahead._

 

It was so _stupid,_ once he’d heard it in his head, but it was the truth. In all his dreams and all his fantasies, he had never once considered what might happen if he actually won. He had pictured how it would feel so many times—how victorious and how _proud_ he would be—but that was where it ended. The idea of it all always stopped before he got to this part.

 

For years he’d been training for it. Scheming, planning. Hoping. He’d given up everything for it, to see his rival before him again and know that he had been heard.

 

And now he was here, and the shock winding through his body made his fingers feel numb.

 

What _would_ he do now? He had ricocheted himself into an entirely different dimension, with no way of getting back home, and no connections besides an ancient pharaoh who for whatever reason was refusing to even consider going back to the world he once inhabited. Was he supposed to challenge Atem to more duels? Set up some arbitrary number of wins he had to surpass before he could let himself think about what came after? Was he supposed to get back to work on his ship again, somehow finding a way to reprogram it without any resources? Would he _have_ to go back, with the knowledge that whatever was between he and Atem had settled, and wave goodbye, content to never see him again?

 

Somewhere in his core, the shock had turned to nausea.

 

“Kaiba?”

 

And then he was back, nearly choking on his own breath, and staring down into Atem’s questioning face. He looked mildly worried, but mostly curious. Cautious. It was a look he’d seen before, whenever they had teamed up in the past, and he was trying to figure out whether Kaiba would help or hinder him. It felt like lifetimes ago now.

 

Clearing his throat, Seto carefully schooled his features into something he hoped resembled his usual impassive demeanor. His only saving grace was that Atem hadn’t seemed to have noticed his slip up. “I’m still weighing my options.”

 

A complete lie. His rival studied him for a moment, obviously looking for any cracks in his veneer, and Kaiba refused to let it show. Finally, apparently satisfied at what he saw, Atem relaxed a little, crossing his arms regally. “Very well. As you know, you are welcome to stay here as long as you desire.” Pausing, he seemed to consider what he was about to say before continuing, face tinged with some emotion Kaiba couldn’t place. “And should you decide to return home at any point… please let me know. I would be happy to lend out either my men or myself to help in any way possible.”

 

Seto swallowed, nodding with a quick jerk of his head. “Thank you. That… I appreciate it.”

 

“Of course.” Atem smiled, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, before motioning to the bedroom with a nod. “I’ll leave you to it then. It’s getting late.”

 

Kaiba merely hummed in acknowledgement. There was a strange heaviness in the air, one that left him in no hurry to end this conversation. It had never been like this before, not even when they were basically enemies. He had never ended a duel so desperate _not_ to have it end. The room behind him felt almost threatening in its emptiness.

 

It disturbed him.

 

With a familiar salute of his fingers, Atem turned to leave. “Goodnight, Kaiba.”

 

“Goodnight, pharaoh.”

 

“Atem.” His rival said decisively, tossing him a smirk over his shoulder. “Please, call me Atem.”

 

And despite the turmoil raging inside him, Kaiba couldn’t help but return his look, testing how the new words felt in his mouth. “Goodnight, _Pharaoh_ Atem.”

 

He stayed in his doorway, watching his retreating figure until he was well out of sight.

 

* * *

 

 

Kaiba didn’t sleep at all that night.

 

That wasn’t unusual for him, sure. Up until recently, Kaiba basically didn’t sleep _any_ nights. What made tonight different is that nothing productive was accomplished in any way.

 

Instead, he paced.

 

And paced. And paced. Pacing had never been a habit of his, but tonight, he felt like he was going to jump out of his skin if he stopped moving for an instant. The happiness—he almost dared to call it content—that he experienced in the wake of his victory felt like a distant memory now, replaced by a aching sort of _emptiness_ that bore a hole in his chest.

 

Because what was he now?

 

He was more than just Atem’s rival, he knew that. Seto was a big brother, a CEO, a pioneer in gaming technology, and once, the most powerful man in Domino City. He had more than enough to live for, and he was proud of his accomplishments.

 

No, what bothered Kaiba was that he had absolutely no desire to go _back._

 

Of course, he missed his brother terribly. No matter where he went, he still half expected to see Mokuba trotting along at his heels, supporting him, encouraging him to be the the best person he could possibly be. He kept their locket under his shirt at all times, and he would be lying if he said his thoughts weren’t with him every night before he fell asleep. But Kaiba also knew, at the end of the day, that these feelings were selfish, and that Mokuba was more than capable without him there. He would be a fine CEO—hell, maybe even a better one than Kaiba ever was—and maybe, him being gone is what his brother needed to flourish.

 

He would find a way back to him, one day. Seto promised himself that. But he knew that today was not that day. The thought of firing up his ship and returning to his old life now filled him with the kind of raging defiance he usually only reserved for duels and people who tried to tell him what to do now.

 

Growling under his breath, he whirled as he reached the edge of his balcony for what must have been the billionth time and stalked back into his room.

 

He couldn’t go back. Why couldn’t he bring himself to go back?

 

By the time he had exhausted himself, the sun was already peeking across the horizon.

 

The unease followed him when he sat down to eat his own, personally prepared breakfast the palace staff began silently bringing him one day. It followed him during his morning workout, conducted with whatever exercise equipment he had managed to fit in his ship before he left. And it _definitely_ followed him through his meal with Atem later that day. The pharaoh had been just as subtly distant as he had been during their conversation the night before. On the surface, he was as steady and proud as ever, all smiles and traded barbs, but his eyes were all wrong. There was a degree of _finality_ within them that made his stomach turn. Like he was bracing himself, expecting Kaiba to deliver bad news any given second.

 

Kaiba hated it. Hated how he looked at Kaiba like he was expecting him to say goodbye.

 

But more than anything, Seto hated the thought of leaving most of all. He wasn’t really sure why. He had wanted to defeat Atem with a ferocity that surpassed most things he wanted in life, that much was true, but with that accomplished, all that left was… simply wanting to _be_ with Atem. Spending time with him. Eating meals. Playing games, for the hell of it this time, and not because it served any sort of grand purpose.

 

He would have scoffed at that, once upon a time. But with his excuse gone, he was starting to wonder if there was maybe something to that. That was what friends did, Kaiba thought. He would have sneered at the idea of spending time with a friend years ago, too. Even now, he instinctively balked at the thought.

 

But goddamnit, if Atem thought he was getting rid of him _that_ easily, he had another thing coming. Seto never backed down from a challenge. He had given up so much to come here, and now, he had a theory to test.

 

Which is what led to him bursting into the throne room the next day.

 

“ _Pharaoh Atem!”_ He roared, uncaring that he looked more disheveled than usual after another sleepless night. “I demand to speak with you!”

 

The room had gone dead silent. Seated at the head of a large table was Atem, with an older man at his side and Mahado at the other, along with what appeared to be the entire royal staff and some other vaguely important looking men he had never seen before. All were staring at him with a mixture of shock, annoyance, or some combination of the two. Mahado was treating him to his most withering look yet, like he had been waiting for this to happen and was disappointed when Kaiba proved him right. Seto didn’t care. His eyes were fixed on only one of them.

 

“Kaiba!” The pharaoh exclaimed, earrings swinging as he sat upright. “What’s going on?”

 

“I need to speak with you. Privately.”

 

“Sir,” one of the men bit out. “We are in the middle of an important meeting with the pharaoh, and we suggest you _leave_ if you know what’s good for you—“

 

“I’d thank you not to threaten my friends.” Atem glowered, causing the man to fall silent. Standing up, he gave the table a swift nod, practically exuding authority. “My apologies for the interruption. I’ll return shortly.”

 

If Kaiba didn’t know any better, he’d say his rival almost looked relieved at the interruption. He had to suppress a smile as he followed him out of the throne room and into the hallway, moving down a ways until he was sure no one would overhear them.

 

Finally, Atem turned to face him, arms crossed. He didn’t _not_ look irritated, but the sparkling in his eyes told Kaiba he wasn’t nearly as mad as he should have been. “Well, you just interrupted a very important meeting between myself, my father, and several of our chief architects. I hope this is important, Kaiba.”

 

“Architects?” Kaiba echoed. Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “You have to attend _business meetings_ in the afterlife?”

 

“Art that expresses devotion to our gods is still an important part of our culture.” He said, shrugging. “My people need to work, and it’s still my job to make sure all goes smoothly.”

 

“In other words, it’s completely pointless.” Kaiba shook his head ruefully. “Some heaven of yours _this_ is.”

 

“I’m sorry, did you drag me out here simply to insult my kingdom?”

 

“Oh, _forgive me,_ your majesty, for taking you away from such an invigorating meeting.” He smirked, peering down at his rival through his lashes. “It’s obvious from your face how much this crushed you. Shall I bow to you? Kiss your feet?”

 

“Alright, alright, you’ve made your point.” Atem rolled his eyes, exasperated. Point one for Kaiba. “Honestly though, Kaiba, what is this about?”

 

At that, Seto’s face hardened, mask firmly in place now that the conversation was back on track. He knew what he wanted to say, but he wasn’t really sure _how_ to say it. Communication was never his strong suit. “The other night, I told you I was still weighing my options. I’ve made my decision.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Atem’s own face fall—although he wasn’t sure if it was because it really did, or if that was simply what he wanted to see. “Oh, did you?” He responded, tone inappropriately light given the subject at hand, Seto thought. “What did you decide?”

 

Kaiba drew up, squaring his shoulders. Deep breaths. There was zero reason to feel nervous. Slowly, he met his rival’s gaze with his own, and this time, he refused to look away. “I’m not leaving. Not for the foreseeable future.”

 

Had his heart not currently been attempting to beat its way out of his chest, he almost would have chuckled at the way Atem’s eyes flew open. For someone normally so cool and confident, watching the pharaoh’s occasional stumble was always a rare treat. He blinked, taken aback, before seemingly regaining his composure. “Is that so?” He asked, crossing his arms. “What made you come to this decision?”

 

Was Kaiba imagining things, or did he actually seem _pleased_ with this?

 

“Pha—Atem,” he corrected himself, stepping forward so they were truly face to face. Atem’s eyes were piercing in the dim light of the hall, and it did little to stop the pounding of his heart. “You told me once, that you saw our road of battle stretched out before you. That it was unending—eternal. I take it you haven’t forgotten?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Kaiba nodded, voice dropping an octave. “Then I’m here to let _you_ know that I don’t intend to deviate from that path. That desire, that _hunger_ to fight by your side—it’s still singing through my veins, even though I’ve already seen you defeated at my hands.” He narrowed his eyes, studying him curiously. “What _is_ it about you? I should have had my fill as soon as our duel was over, but here I am, wanting to challenge you all over again. I don’t want to leave. You can’t _make_ me leave.”

 

And Atem was smiling at him now, really smiling, although it had a sly edge to it. “Is the great Seto Kaiba admitting he actually has _fun_ with our games now?”

 

“Don’t mock me,” Kaiba snorted. “I just want to stick around until I find out what it will take to satisfy me. It might take one defeat, it might take a hundred—nothing will stop me until I figure out why.”

 

“And what if you’re never satisfied? What will you do then?” Atem’s voice had deepened now too, and he was looking at him with such a knowing softness that Seto wanted to throw him against the wall.

 

Smirking, he held his hands behind him back and leaned forward ever so slightly. “Then I suppose you’ll have to battle me for _eternity.”_

 

Somewhere in the back of Kaiba’s mind, something dimly warned him he was treading dangerous waters. He couldn’t have cared less. He was too absorbed in the way Atem’s almost ruby colored eyes peered back into his.

 

A moment passed, and before he knew it, Atem was drawing back, letting his eyes fall shut. Seto was startled to find that he was disappointed, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. “Kaiba… I feel the same way.”

 

Pride swelled in his chest before he had the chance to stop it. That was an admission he hadn’t been expecting to hear. “Do you now?”

 

“Mmm.” His rival nodded, giving him a cheeky wink. “I was ready to support you in whatever you needed to do, but I’ve missed our games. It was hard to reconcile the thought of not ever having you as an opponent again. Or a friend.” He frowned, hesitating. “You’re sure this is what you want, though? We don’t exactly have computers here, or helicopters.”

 

“As if I won’t find a way to invent either of those.” Kaiba rolled his eyes, disappointed. Honestly, it was like Atem didn’t even know him at all. “And since when have you known me to second guess my own decisions?”

 

“I suppose you’re right.” Atem chuckled.

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“Alright then. My home is your home.” He declared, with the kind of finality that suited his title. “Now, if you don’t have any other news to drop on me, I have a _very important meeting_ I need to return to before my father has my head.”

 

Oh, right. Kaiba had almost forgotten. Absently, he wondered if he should be ashamed of the fact that Atem’s father probably thought _very_ poorly of him now, before deciding that it didn’t really matter. “Before you leave,” he announced, stopping the retreating pharaoh in his tracks. “I have one last demand.”

 

He could practically _hear_ Atem’s smirk this time. “Oh, we’re making _demands_ now?”

 

“Yes.” Kaiba replied, smug and confident at the thought that he was probably one of the very few people allowed to address him like this. “After your _thrilling_ meeting, I want you to clear out your schedule, your palace, whatever could possibly be in the way, and duel me into the night. I want to see how many losses it takes before you break.”

 

“And if I refuse?”

 

The tone in his voice told Kaiba he definitely wasn’t refusing. He shrugged. “Then I suppose I’ll have to disrupt every meeting, for all eternity, until you give me what I want.”

 

“Absolute insubordination.” Atem was shaking his head, trying and failing to hide a smile. “It’s like you forget who the king is around here.”

 

The smile that Kaiba shot back at him was positively cutting. “The king? As far as I’m concerned, the results of the other night proved who the _true_ king of games is.”

 

And there was that fire in Atem’s eyes again, full of indignation and challenge, and their gazes locked just a second too long before the pharaoh was whirling again, cape trailing along behind him. “I’ll see you back here within an hour.”

 

If Kaiba’s stride as he made his way back to retrieve his duel disk was just a little lighter than normal, he figured nobody would have to know.

 

* * *

 

A little more than a week later, Kaiba found himself standing awkwardly outside the palace entrance.

 

Not because he was being kicked out. Not even because he and Atem had a fight, or because he’d simply needed the fresh air after being stuck in the palace for over a week. No, this time, Kaiba had actually been _invited_ somewhere.

 

On an outing, of sorts.

 

He had indeed dueled Atem late into the night that day. They’d dueled the night after that, too. In fact, they’d dueled every single day, whenever Atem was free from whatever pointless busy-work he’d been saddled with, or whenever he was out from the eye of his _new_ (Old?) obnoxious friend group. Their battles had been glorious, everything Kaiba could have asked for, as raw and thrilling as anything he’d ever experienced.

 

The way Kaiba saw it, there was just one problem: in a twist of fate he’d only ever dreamed of before, he began winning their matches about as often as he did lose them.

 

Logically, this was hardly a problem, he knew. He should be _ecstatic_ at his now numerous wins against his rival, and for a while, he really was. Watching Atem squirm, his eyes alight with defiance, only to be forced to admit defeat, and the way he always, _always_ looked impressed when Kaiba bested him was truly the greatest feeling in the world as a rival. He didn’t think it would ever get old.

 

And… it didn’t, not really. But it did make things more complicated.

 

Because the fire in his veins that Seto had once rationalized as an overwhelming need to win hadn’t gone away.

 

If anything, it had gotten worse. Kaiba may have been a little preoccupied with his rival in the past, back when he knew him only as an extension of Yugi, but it was easy enough to dismiss that as a duelist’s passion. Anger, defiance, the need to prove oneself—those were emotions he understood intimately. When Atem had left him, he could explain the all consuming, screaming need to see him again as his grief at losing the one person he’d ever considered calling a friend. Grief, too, was an emotion he knew all too well.  Atem had come to mean _something_ to him, and when he’d lost that too, the pain he’d felt had been enough to drive him further than he’d ever gone before.

 

Now, he was here wirth Atem, he had tasted victory, and yet the drive that had been such a constant in his life was only becoming more intense, unfamiliar. He saw Atem every single day—not just when they dueled, but during meals, and every night before he retreated into his room. When he slept, he dreamed of him—an occurrence not unusual in itself—but they were getting more frequent now, nearly rivaling his dreams about his dragons. Unfortunately, he could never remember what they entailed when he awoke, just that they were intense enough to make his heart pound.

 

If this was what friendship entailed, he wasn’t sure he cared for it.

 

Still, there wasn’t much he could do other than grit his teeth and deal with it. It wasn’t like his dueling had suffered from it. If anything, he was at the top of his game, and Atem had told him as such numerous times. Kaiba couldn’t help but preen the compliments.

 

“Do you ever get bored of this?” His rival asked one day as they were wrapping up a duel.

 

Kaiba frowned. Normally he would take this as a taunt—Atem had won this time—but nothing in his tone suggested his usual needling. “Are you seriously asking me if I ever get bored of dueling you?” He drawled, turning off the holographs in his duel disk. “I thought I made it clear that the answer is always ‘no.’”

 

“No, I don’t mean do you ever get bored of Duel Monsters.” Atem chuckled. “I mean, do you ever get bored of _this?”_ Stretching his arms out, he gestured to all of his throne room, empty and massive now with the guards cleared out. “We’ve never tried dueling anywhere else.”

 

Ahhhh, so that was what he’d meant. “I wasn’t aware there was anywhere else.” Kaiba shrugged, taking in the cavernous ceilings that surrounded them. He had to admit, he was used to dueling in more diverse locations, but he wasn’t about to complain. “The palace is flat and the holograms have more than enough room to move around. It’s a perfect arena. Why, are _you_ getting bored?”

 

“It’s fine,” Atem responded, glancing around his glorious resting place with a definite air of boredom. “But it does get stuffy after a while if you don’t leave. Sometimes it’s almost like living in the puzzle all over again.”

 

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow at that. _Interesting._ “I’m not following. It’s not like we can duel in the marketplace.” Normally, he wasn’t one to reject an audience, but he had gotten used to having Atem all to himself.

 

“This world extends _far_ beyond just this kingdom, Kaiba.” His rival winked playfully, and for whatever reason it made the tips of Seto’s ears burn. “Tell you what—meet me outside the palace gates tomorrow right after lunch, and I’ll show you.”

 

So here he was.

 

It was times like these Kaiba understood just how out of place he truly was, standing in the middle of ancient Egypt with his high tech, glowing bodysuit. The various people who passed him by stole quick glances, whispering amongst each other. Atem had apparently explained his situation to them, more or less, but that didn’t mean the people of his kingdom weren’t curious or even a little scared. Seto paid them no mind, barely sparing them a glance as he stood still and imposing against the palace steps. Atem would be there soon. He didn’t care about anyone’s opinion but his.

 

Speaking of which… he sighed, squinting up at the afternoon sun. Modern watches didn’t work in the afterlife, for obvious reasons, but the cosmos had stayed relatively the same, and Kaiba had adapted to keep track of time by its position in the sky. Today, Atem was late. He had to have been there at least ten minutes. Kaiba was far from used to being kept waiting, and frankly, Atem was lucky he was his cherished rival—normally he would have left by now.

 

Suddenly, to his right, he heard a great commotion. Clattering, various people yelping, shouted apologies—before Kaiba even had time to process it, a thick cloud of dust came bursting from the side of the palace, heading his way at mach speeds before coming to an abrupt stop in front of him. Seto blinked, for once in his life unable to speak as he finally locked eyes with his rival.

 

Because Atem had come to pick him up in an honest to god, golden _chariot._

 

“Sorry I’m late!” The pharaoh chirped, hopping down from his ride like he hadn’t just left Kaiba completely stunned because _honestly._ “This one is always unruly unless I’m hitching her up, and my staff always insists. It’s an impossible task.”

 

Seto blinked. Again. “You came to take me to some secret location, late, I might add, in a solid gold chariot.”

 

“Yes?” Atem eyed him, clearly unimpressed. “We don’t exactly have limousines here, Kaiba. I’m not sure what you were expecting.”

 

“I was—you know what, nevermind.” Kaiba huffed, making his way towards the chariot. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t really sure what he had been expecting either. “I guess I thought you’d have a royal driver or something.”

 

That got him a sly grin. “I do. But driving yourself is just so much more fun.” That, Seto had doubts about. “Besides, you should be honored. Not everyone gets picked up by the pharaoh’s _royal_ horse.”

 

Kaiba glanced at where he was gesturing, bemused. Hitched to the cart itself was a white Arabian mare, standing surprisingly quietly for a horse that had only minutes ago caused so much chaos. Her mane and tail were slightly darker shades of grey from the rest of her coat, and, true to the glamour of the vehicle she was pulling, she was adorned with gleaming tack sporting a variety of decorative tassels, similar to the color of Atem’s cape.

 

She was also currently sporting the most apathetic expression he’d ever seen on a horse. Not that Kaiba had seen many, but the energy was palpable.

 

“Kaiba, this is Sabah.” Atem said proudly, giving her spotless coat a pat. “She’s my personal horse. Sabah, Kaiba.”

 

The pair regarded each other with suspicion. Hesitantly, after a beat of silence, Seto reached out to touch her, only to pull it away when the horse jerked back from him like he was diseased, snorting. He may not have known much about horses, but he was pretty sure _that_ body language was universal. “I don’t think she likes me very much either.”

 

“Don’t take it personally, she’s like that with everyone.” Atem assured him, clearly amused that he’d even tried. “I raised her from when she was a filly, and so far, I’m the only one she’s let handle her, much less ride her. She threw off everyone else who tried to break her.” He had begun stroking her again, and Kaiba noted the fondness in his eyes. “I guess you could say we grew up together.”

 

Kaiba realized, with a start, that this was the first time he’d ever heard Atem mention anything personal about his childhood. The whole time he had known him, he had been a nameless spirit sharing Yugi’s body, with no memories to speak of, and their conversation topics here had never strayed that way. Even stranger, he found himself wanting to learn more. “The son of the pharaoh was out riding chariots and taming horses? You family must have been very open minded.”

 

“Believe me, Father did _not_ approve. I can’t tell you how many times I got a lecture about how I was recklessly endangering myself, or how I should let the servants do their jobs.” Atem chuckled, shaking his head. “You could call me rebellious, but I truly did value the position I held, even then. It was just… sometimes, the duty of it all could be stifling. There were just days when I needed to feel _free.”_ Blinking, he seemed to snap out of his reverie and looked up at Kaiba, brow furrowed. “Do you understand?”

 

And, surprisingly, Kaiba found that in a strange way, he did. “Yes, that… yes, actually. That makes perfect sense.”

 

The look Atem gave him this time was as warm as sunlight, and Seto felt entranced _._

 

Before he knew it though, the moment was over and his rival was turning away, hopping back up on the chariot. He wasn’t really sure he felt disappointed or relieved. “Alright then, Kaiba—care to join us, or am I going to be exercising Sabah by myself today?”

 

Balking, Kaiba gave the vehicle another once over. It was small, clearly not designed with more than one person in mind, and attached to a very volatile, very _fast_ horse who had already made her opinion of him clear. He wasn’t one to worry about those sorts of things—Mokuba had told him more than once that he had missed his calling to be a Formula 1 racer on the occasion he drove his own car—but this was a bit out of his comfort zone. “Is this even safe?”

 

“As safe as dangling from a helicopter, I’m sure.” Atem quirked an eyebrow, watching him step in behind him with a delicacy he rarely showed in any other area of his life. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Kaiba?”

 

“Easy to say for the guy who’s _dead.”_

 

“You could be the same, for all we know.” Seto could sense him rolling his eyes, and he frowned, resisting the urge to kick him in the shin. “Now hold on tight, we don’t want to test our theory.” And Kaiba barely had any time to register _that_ before the chariot was taking off at full speed, sending him reeling backwards in a way that made him curse his own size for the first time in his life.

 

This was going to be a _long_ day.

  


* * *

 

Miraculously, they made it out of the city without destroying anything.

 

Atem’s kingdom must have been used to his particular brand of madness, as the citizens they sped by simply waved excitedly at him, a gesture which he always happily returned. It was endearing, Kaiba thought, how in this world, he was treated like the king he truly was. He had been well known as a duelist when he inhabited Yugi’s body, of course, but the average non-duelist never exactly treated him with the reverence he seemed to command simply by existing. They were fools, the lot of them. He sincerely felt anyone who had ever dueled him—besides himself, of course—should have felt _honored_ that his rival ever gave them the time of day, and it was vindicating to see him so cherished here.

 

Of course, being essentially a god in human form didn’t make you a good driver. The chariot had swerved and bucked on their way out of civilization with such intensity that Kaiba had had to brace his legs against the inside of it, gripping its sides with white knuckle intensity. It was so rough he could only conclude that Atem was trying to scare him on purpose, purely for the fun of it.

 

Against his better judgement, Kaiba kept completely silent. He refused to give him the satisfaction.

 

Fortunately for him, the rest of the ride was unremarkable, as everything smoothed out once they were free of the city and out on the flat sands of what he knew would eventually become Cairo in the living world. It was, admittedly, a beautiful day—the perfect day for a duel. He couldn’t see Atem’s face, but he seemed content as well, his whole posture relaxed and happy in a way Kaiba wasn’t used to seeing. Slowly, he allowed himself to relax as well and simply enjoy watching him, basking in the fact that for the first time, they were well and truly alone.

 

Before long, they were approaching one of the many rocky cliffs that seemed to surround the area. Seto watched in surprise as the seemingly endless sand slowly began giving away to bright green grass, first in clumps, and then an actual field, creating a path that led them to what he now realized was a shimmering oasis with a waterfall. It was completely unexpected, and for a moment it actually stunned him with its beauty. Before he knew it, they were pulling to a stop.

 

“We’re here!” Atem chirped, hopping out of the chariot and immediately getting to work on freeing Sabah from her tack. “I’m glad I remembered where this was—not that we’re ever in any danger of getting lost, but this one in particular is my favorite.”

 

Kaiba stepped out of the cart, blinking and taking in the scenery. The oasis was huge, filled with clear, blue water that seemed near bottomless. The waterfall feeding it was impossibly high, but was far enough away to create only a gentle roar, and they were surrounded by grass and palm trees. It was like stepping straight into a jungle, and he knew this place _definitely_ couldn’t have come about naturally. “I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that this wasn’t here while you were alive.”

 

“No, not at all.” Atem confirmed, giving his horse an encouraging pat on the rump and watching as she trotted towards some grass. “We had greenery with the Nile, but anything of this caliber would have been impossible. This is part of our reward, you see—there are multiples of these retreats scattered around the area for anyone who wants to enjoy them.” He turned to Kaiba, raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Do you like it? I thought some different scenery would be a nice change of pace.”

 

“Hmph. I suppose it will do.” Kaiba smirked, observing the field around him. It was huge and private—it would be a suitable place for a duel. “Are you sure you didn’t just take me here to distract me? Throw me off my game?”

 

“Of course not. Your defeat is only satisfying when it’s fair and square.” Leaning back into the chariot, Atem pulled out a bag, reaching into it and sliding on his custom duel disk. Moving into a more open part of the field, he activated the disk, face half obscured by the holograms. “Well, Kaiba? Care to join me?”

 

“Hmph,” Kaiba huffed, approaching him and activating his own disk with a flick of his arm. “Do you even have to ask?”

 

They managed to get three whole games in before things starting going awry.

 

Kaiba quickly found that Atem had been right—the change of scenery was refreshing after they’d spent so long facing each other on the same battlefield. He had never been particular about _where_ he dueled, as in his opinion, it was mostly the challenge the person you were up against gave you that was where all the excitement was, but the field was even bigger than the throne room and definitely more dramatic. It was easy to imagine they were facing off in some distant jungle, the only two people left on earth, battling until the end of time itself. There was no one to bother them here. It was _exhilarating,_ Kaiba’s mind felt as sharp as it had ever been as he watched the wind tousle his opponent’s hair.

 

“Well done, as always.” Atem praised as they finished out the game. Seto had his first win of the day under his belt now. “You’ve come far, Kaiba, but don’t forget—I’m still in the lead.” His hips had a cocksure tilt to them, and he was just _itching_ to make him stumble. “I don’t expect you to be satisfied with that.”

 

“Of course not,” Kaiba sneered, already bringing the interface up to start a new game. “I refuse you leave this place until I’ve had you on the ground at least _once.”_

 

“Very well then.” Atem nodded, falling into his usual stance. “I’ll go first! _Dra..._ aw?”

 

The pharaoh, suddenly, went very cross-eyed, straining to stare at the tip of his nose like he’d been shocked. Seto was flummoxed. What the hell? “What is it?”

 

“That’s strange,” His rival murmured. “I thought I felt—“

 

They both jerked their heads skyward as he was interrupted by a roll of thunder.

 

Kaiba blinked. Once again: what the hell?

 

The sky, which had been perfectly blue when they left earlier in the day, was now dark and angry, casting everything around them in shadow. Kaiba had been so wrapped up in their duel he hadn’t even noticed. A lone raindrop hit his head, first one, then two, and then before he knew it, _countless_ as the heavens opened up above them. He was almost immediately drenched, and hurriedly shut off his duel disk. They were waterproof, but he didn’t want to risk anything happening to them when he was so far away from his technology.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sabah taking off to seek shelter under some trees. Shelter, right—they should probably find shelter. He turned to Atem, who was staring wide eyed against the roar of the storm like it was attacking him personally. “ **_Atem!_ ** _We need cover!”_

 

“I don’t understand…” he was saying, barely audible over the wind. “This doesn’t normally—“ Before Kaiba could scold him for stalling, he was squinting into the distance, eyes flying open when he spotted his target. “ _There,_ Kaiba! Against the cliffside!”

 

Seto followed his gaze. Sure enough, he saw what appeared to be a small cave just past a grove of trees, illuminated by the lightning that had just decided to make itself known. It would have to do. Shielding his eyes against the onslaught, he shouted “come on!”, trudging his way towards the opening with Atem at his heels.

 

* * *

 

The cave, they quickly discovered, was less of a cave and more of a crevice.

 

“How the hell are we both supposed to fit in here?” Seto grumbled, nearly folding in on himself. The ceiling of the cave was adequate, but the depth of it was shallow, meaning they didn’t exactly have a lot of personal space. Kaiba’s legs easily met the opposite wall when he sat down, meaning he had to keep them slightly bent unless he wanted to stand and hit his head. Normally, he enjoyed his height, but times like these made him regret it.

 

“We have no choice.” Atem replied, crawling against the opposite side of the cave. Their legs were nearly touching when he sat down—despite being the _much_ shorter of the two, he had to get in pretty close of he wanted to avoid the rain. “We’ll just have to bear it.”

 

“Fantastic.” Kaiba retorted, glaring out at the downpour and wondering if he could make it go away through sheer willpower alone. He shifted uneasily. Having Atem so close made him oddly nervous. “You get bad weather here too? I thought this was supposed to be a paradise.”

 

His rival looked as bewildered as he was. “We _don’t.”_ He said, furrowing his own brow as he watched the rain. “At least, not since I’ve been here. The weather is supposed to be mostly suited to my tastes. I don’t know what’s happening.”

 

“Hmmm. Seems like your own world is getting away from you.”

 

“But it _can’t.”_ Atem insisted. “Or it shouldn’t.” He was fidgeting, Kaiba noticed, in the same way he did when he was in Yugi’s body when his friends were in danger. “I hope nothing is threatening this realm.”

 

Kaiba snorted at that. “Like what? Don’t you and the gods rule this place?”

 

“You never know, Kaiba.”

 

For a moment, he looked older than he actually was, and every bit that troubled hero with the weight of the world on his shoulders. For the first time, Kaiba found himself wondering how he died—how he _truly_ died, in his own time. He had heard the gist of it from Yugi—some sort of sacrifice to save his people—but he hadn’t exactly been in the mindset to listen at the time, having just found out that his one and only rival  was gone. He didn’t like remembering. Somehow, though, he liked the sudden downturn in Atem’s mood even less.

 

A little bit of banter ought to do it. “Hmph!” He huffed, crossing his arms as he shifted against the rock. “This world of yours just continues to disappoint me. All the more reason why you should never rely on magic over _science._ ”

 

Atem whirled to stare at him, looking affronted. Score one for Kaiba. “You just told me you liked it a little while ago!”

 

“I liked it until it ruined our card game.” He shrugged. “Now we’re stuck in here for who knows how long, and it’s not even close to a big enough space for a duel.”

 

“Well, sorry I bothered to take you on a tour of your new home like a _good king.”_ The pharaoh was rolling his eyes, but their usual, sly gleam was back in place. His bangs were dripping wet and his ridiculous hair was drooping, but Kaiba still found him oddly captivating to look at. “Next time Sabah and I will just leave you at the palace.”

 

“I’ll just tame a horse and follow you.”

 

This time, Atem actually threw his head back to laugh. “Now _that_ I would like to see!”

 

Once upon a time, the thought of his rival laughing at his expense would have made his blood boil. Now, he couldn’t help the upward quirk of his lip as he watched him, his previous, darker mood lifted all because of Kaiba. He wasn’t sure _when_ he started enjoying seeing the pharaoh happy—it just sort of happened without him even realizing it. He supposed it was just a part of that friendship thing.

 

If this was all that entailed… well, there were definitely worse things, Kaiba thought.

 

“Hey,” Atem was saying, snapping him out of his slight daze. “I just remembered, I brought something we could play in here.”

 

Peering around him, Seto realized he had managed to grab the bag he had taken with them on the way to the cave. He was shuffling through it now, clearly searching for something. “Like what? If you think it can make up for our duel, you’re sorely mistaken.”

 

“It won’t,” Atem agreed, setting down a small item between them. “But this will help us pass the time.”

 

Kaiba recognized the rectangular board he was setting up. “Senet?”

 

“Mmm. Have you played it?”

 

“Not be your rules, I’m sure.”

 

“That’s fine. I’ll teach you this one too.”

 

They played for a while in comfortable silence. Kaiba picked up the rules quickly, as he always did. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as Duel Monsters was, but there was something to be said about the way it allowed him to view Atem’s reactions far closer than he ever had before. Now that they were this close—close enough for him to see his every minute expression—he was taking every opportunity to study him. It made that fire burn in his gut again, especially when he noticed that the rain had dampened his top, making the white fabric virtually see-through and barely leaving anything to the imagination. Distantly, Kaiba realized that this was the most intimate he’d ever seen him, and it just made his heart pound all the harder. What the fuck was wrong with him? Had he been here long enough that he was officially losing his mind?

 

Bizarre. Everything about it was bizarre.

 

“Kaiba? Everything alright?”

 

Jerking slightly, Seto tore his eyes away from where he had been openly staring, swallowing around his suspiciously dry throat. “Fine. I’m fine. I think being crammed in here is making me overheated.”

 

Atem actually looked slightly embarrassed, looking away and shifting awkwardly against his leg. Somehow, it only made the heat in Kaiba’s gut worse, and he squirmed to get away to no avail. “Ahhh, sorry.” He said quietly, moving his player piece forward on the board. “I don’t know if any bigger caves close by. Your turn.”

 

That was enough to give Kaiba pause. Frowning, he made his own move, feeling oddly detached from the game. “I would think you would know this place by heart. You said it was your favorite.”

 

“It is.” Atem confirmed, nodding. “Of all our retreats, this one feels the most peaceful—and also the most mysterious, being as tucked away as it is. I think that makes it exciting. I don’t come here often, though.”

 

“Why not? You said this was part of your reward. I’m sure anyone would jump at the chance to take you.”

 

“I don’t like leaving the palace often.”

 

Kaiba found himself staring at him again, this time out of surprise. There was a slightly guarded look to Atem again, like he was divulging a secret and was worried what Kaiba would do with it. Something in him desperately wanted his rival to continue, to tell him things he had never told anyone before, to affirm that trust he knew they had in each other. It was enough to make him lean forward, imperceptibly, pleading with his body. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

 

Atem studied him, pausing in their game. They were so close now, and Kaiba couldn’t look away. “No,” he finally said, breaking contact to stare out into the rain. “But I want my people to know I’m there for them.”

 

Well. Talk about making _zero_ sense. But Kaiba stayed silent, prompting him to continue.

 

“I was just 16 when I died. I was finally of age, after _years_ of preparing following my father’s death, and within a week I was gone too. It was… I gave up my life to protect them, to protect the _world,_ but I was only their pharaoh for a few _days,_ Kaiba. Do you see what I mean?” His expression was open, vulnerable, and it made Seto hold his breath. “I was out of their lives as quickly as I came into it. When I was in the puzzle… I couldn’t even remember them, what I left behind. But when I finally crossed over here, everyone was thrilled to see me, and welcomed me with open arms. I don’t want them to ever think I’ll forget about them again.”

 

And wasn’t that just like him, to carry an enormous sense of duty that was largely self imposed. Kaiba thought over his response for a moment, before leaning back into his seat. “Well, that’s just foolish.”

 

The look Atem gave him was affronted, and mildly hurt. “ _What?”_

 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he shrugged, “I get the responsibility. I’ve been in charge of thousands of employees since I was a teenager. It’s part of my job to make sure they’re well paid and given the resources they need to work to their fullest ability. But anyone who thinks you’re a failure of a king is a true idiot, and probably doesn’t deserve to be here in the first place.”

 

Atem cocked an eyebrow. “Elaborate.”

 

Kaiba moved his player piece, slowly, deliberately. He wasn’t good at having ‘heart to hearts’, but some things needed to be said. “You gave your life for them. You took on the greatest position of power in the world, and threw it all away without a second thought, just so they could go on living. That’s why they’re devoted to you. Anyone who _wouldn’t_ be just because you’re not at their beck and call twenty four-seven has no right to even think it.” Finally, he set the piece down and crossed his arms, satisfied that he was on his way to victory. “Maybe one day, you’ll realize what you mean to them.”

 

For a second, he wondered if he broke his rival, as the blank stare received was mildly unsettling. Then, it melted into the warmest expression he’d seen on the pharaoh yet, gentle and grateful, and Seto’s heart slammed against his ribs with a ferocity that alarmed him. What was going on? “That’s easier said than done, but… I’ll think it over. Thank you, Kaiba.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll come around to my way eventually.” He smirked, absurdly thankful that his voice didn’t give his crisis away. His chest felt like it was exploding.

 

_What the fuck what the fuck_

 

“We’ll see about that.” Atem responded smoothly, painfully oblivious to the internal battle taking place across from him.

 

“But you know, Kaiba…”

 

Seto’s eyes briefly tore from his as his rival tossed his throwing sticks, moving his player piece leisurely across the board.

 

“A true duelist should always pay utmost attention to their surroundings, even when they’re acting nobly… otherwise, you never know what will catch you off guard… here, as an example.”

 

He set his figure down with a decisive tap and straightened, looking like the personification of pride and victory and affection and everything good in the world.

 

“I win.”

 

Lightning flashed from outside, illuminating his smug face, and realization tore through Kaiba like his own personal bolt of electricity.

 

Because Atem was beautiful.

 

It was like the final two pieces of a puzzle clicking together, complete after years of slaving, ready to reveal what was inside. The thought alone made him jerk back, gasping, and had it not been for the ensuing clap of thunder, he would have completely given himself away. Atem was fucking _beautiful,_ and somehow he always had been, and it was terrifying and earth shattering and so _obvious_ Kaiba didn’t know how he’d managed to avoid realizing it before.

 

His jewel toned eyes, that insufferable smirk, the way he carried himself with such grace and dignity—everything about him was unfairly gorgeous. Even now, disheveled from the rain, he was beautiful—maybe even more so.

 

“Kaiba? Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

 

 _Fuck._ Kaiba was _not_ feeling alright. Kaiba was feeling like the biggest idiot to ever walk the planet. “I’m fine.”

 

Atem frowned, eyes full of concern. Before Seto could react, the pharaoh was leaning forward, placing the back of his hand on his forehead. The touch sent another surge of _feeling_ through his veins, and it was all Kaiba could do not to tremble. “Are you absolutely _positive?_ You’re burning up.”

 

His hand slid down Kaiba’s cheek, as if confirming it wasn’t just his imagination, and this close Kaiba really could see his individual eyelashes under his kohl, the bow of his lips, and the the way his nipples pebbled under his too-thin shirt. He couldn’t do this right now. “I’m _fine,”_ he bit out, swatting his hand away. “Just overheated, that’s all.”

 

What he actually was, was in deep, deep trouble.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that stupid horse


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto Kaiba has a feeling.

In hindsight, that was the beginning of the end for Kaiba. 

 

They had returned to the palace not long after the skies cleared. It had taken far too long, in Seto’s opinion—he had been stuck in the cave with Atem and his newly discovered emotions for at least another hour, and once it had finally let up, he wasn’t at all in the mood for games. He’s sure that would have shocked anyone who knew him—Seto Kaiba, denying a  _ game _ ?—but he didn’t care. There was so much more to focus on now, so much going through his head. In just one moment, everything had changed. 

 

The ride back had been eerily silent. Atem noticed his shift in mood, he thought. He had caught the pharaoh stealing concerned glances at him out of the corner of his eye as they galloped across the desert, glances he had refused to return. Kaiba was normally masterful at controlling his facial expressions, but a part of him was terrified that the second their eyes locked, all would be revealed. It was absurd, he knew, his rival wasn’t a mindreader, but… well. 

 

Atem had always been able to read him too easily. That was part of the problem. 

 

He had stayed quiet as they walked through the halls that led to his bedroom when they returned later that night, and only gave clipped answers to Atem’s attempts at conversation. It was the same walk they had made countless times before, but Kaiba nearly felt like a different person than he had been just that morning. 

 

Atem looked at him when they stopped outside his door, searching. Kaiba kept his gaze pinned somewhere above one of his hair tips.

 

“I had fun today.” His rival said, encouragingly. 

 

“Mm.”

 

“I’m just sorry the storm had to ruin our game. Maybe we can try again tomorrow?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Atem was practically standing on his tip toes to reach his eyes now. Kaiba wouldn’t allow it. Was he blushing?  _ Fuck,  _ could he tell he was blushing? 

 

“Is that a yes?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Well, don’t act so enthused. You could just say ‘no’, you know.”

 

“I’ll think about it.” 

 

Awkward silence descended upon them. The pharaoh was looking at him like he was a puzzle to be solved, and all the attention sent tremors through Seto’s frame. This was  _ bad.  _ He needed to get out of here, he needed to  _ think.  _

 

“If you’re lying about your wellbeing I’m going to have my priests tie you to the bed until we figure out what’s wrong with you—“

 

“I’m going to bed  _ goodnight.”  _

 

The door to his room closed behind him with a  _ thud,  _ nearly drowning out the sound of his own heart roaring in his ears, and this time, he was  _ sure  _ he was blushing. 

 

_ Fuck.  _

 

He was unbearably attracted to Atem. 

 

Kaiba’s mind was reeling as he tried to make sense of it all. He had never felt even the slightest interest in another person, didn’t even think he was capable of it. Most people were beneath him, boring—the ones he didn’t consider his enemies had passed through his life like shadows, and he never gave them a second thought once they were gone. It had always just been him and Mokuba, against a world that didn’t want him, a world he’d once decided he was going to make a little better even if it killed him. Romantic endeavors, sex, were for other people. They were a pointless waste of time, unproductive, distracting, unneeded. Seto was too busy, too important to be drawn away from his work by something as stupid as  _ biological impulses.  _

 

And then Atem came along. 

 

He wasn’t even sure when it started. Kaiba had known, somewhere unconscious and ignored, that Atem was handsome. He had spent countless hours staring over his visage, after all, crafted from his own memories to come to life within his solid light system. Sleepless nights pouring over each individual hair, his muscles, trying to work out the  _ exact  _ shade of his eyes—an endeavor he had never been able to get right no matter how hard he tried. There was something charismatic about him, alluring. His rival had a quality he had never seen in anyone else, and Kaiba had known, deep down, that no one would ever be able to replace him. 

 

There had been no one in history like him, and the world was dulled without his presence. No matter how long he wracked over his hard light AI, it would never be anything more than a pale imitation of the real thing. 

 

God, was that when it started? Had all of his dedication simply been the result of repressed, carnal urges? Seto felt nauseous. 

 

...Had it been happening even longer than that? 

 

Without realizing it, Kaiba had started violently pacing again. Dimly, he knew he was probably going to wear a hole in the floor at this rate. 

 

His pacing continued well into the night, past the point where he was sure the entire palace was asleep. He fought to keep from envisioning how seductively beautiful Atem looked back in the cave. He mentally toiled over their every interaction and every duel, trying to find the point where it all started, feeling a stab of shock each time he realized that burning longing he had always assumed was just a duelist’s passion had already been there. Throughout all of their adventures, from Battle City, and even Duelist Kingdom, he’d felt it. It crumbled his worldview all over again, rearranging their shared experiences until, with a sickening lurch, he realized he couldn’t go back any further. 

 

Had he truly wanted him since the beginning? Since his rival shattered his mind to pieces, changing the course of his life forever? 

 

Kaiba swayed with exhaustion. 

 

Sleep. He needed sleep. He had been panicking for hours at this point, his brain felt like it was on fire. Frustrated, he remembered a time when he he hardly needed rest, and he would go days without sleeping for more than a few hours. Yet another way Atem had reached in and changed his life without him noticing. 

 

By the time he tossed himself into bed, eyelids sagging, he was sure it had to be past four’a.m. This was fine. He just had to not think about it anymore, that was it. Sleep would refresh him, and he’d know what to do about all of this in the morning. 

 

But he wasn’t fine. 

 

It was like the realization of his feelings had opened the floodgates, gates that had been sealed shut for years until the new onslaught of feeling caused them to burst. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Atem, back in that cave, soaked to the skin and so unbearably  _ close  _ that Kaiba could feel his body heat as if they were still there. His mind was filled with those jewel-like eyes pinning him to the wall with his stare, playful and challenging all at once. More than anything, he kept going back to that brief but oh so terrifying point of contact when Atem’s fingers slid down his cheek, softer and warmer than he ever imagined another person’s touch could be, sending chills down his spine. 

 

Every time he tried to clear his mind of it, it would come rushing back a minute later, causing him to jerk out of his doze with a gasp. It had to have been at least an hour before sleep finally claimed him. 

 

Even then, he was far from out of the woods. Because then he had the  _ dream.  _

 

For as intense as it was, Seto couldn’t really remember what it had been about. It was mostly just sensations and flashes of images—of Atem, being close to him.  _ Far  _ closer than he had been in the cave. There had been touching, not just of his face this time, but other parts of him as well. His shoulders, the sensitive curve of his neck, all the way down his chest and even  _ lower,  _ somewhere private and untouched, making Kaiba gasp and  _ writhe,  _ and through it all he felt his rival’s comforting weight bearing down on him, and the only thing he could make out were those gorgeous eyes, warm and confident and  _ predatory— _

 

When Seto gasped awake, he found himself painfully hard, hips stuttering against the mattress. 

 

He nearly threw the sheets off of himself in frustration. This was getting very,  _ very  _ quickly out of hand. Kaiba had been aware of his… preoccupation for less than twenty-four hours, and here he was  _ already  _ having obscene dreams and rutting into his bed like an animal. He wanted to curse himself, curse his own traitorous biology, and most of all, curse Atem for being so unfairly attractive in the first place. Kaiba didn’t have… goddamn  _ wet dreams  _ that haunted him every night, and he  _ especially  _ didn’t have them for other people. If he had any sense, he would perish the thoughts from his mind, push himself out of bed, and do something productive, like build that working espresso machine he longed for so dearly, or lift weights until he worked himself into exhaustion. 

 

..But then, he was so hot and flushed, and his erection was still straining uncomfortably against the overly tight pants he hadn’t bothered removing before collapsing into bed. For once, no amount of willpower was making it go away—he was still haunted by that little touch from earlier, so light and yet translating itself into something so incredibly devious in his dream. Just the thought of it was sending bolts of arousal down his spine. 

 

Fuck it. Clenching his eyes shut, he yanked down his pants and shuddered as he exposed himself to the chilled night air.  _ Sense  _ wasn’t going to get rid of his problem. Maybe if he gave in, just this once… he could assess the situation with a clearer head later. Maybe even reduce his longing entirely. 

 

Yeah. Yeah, that was definitely it, he thought, turning on to his side and letting out a shuddering gasp when his hand met the taut skin of his cock. 

 

Seto hadn’t done this in… god, he didn’t even know how long. Months, probably. Maybe even years. Everything after Atem left had become an incomprehensible blur of anger, and work, and mourning. It wasn’t something he liked to indulge in even on the best of days, as touching himself was just that—an indulgence. It was nothing more than a waste of valuable energy, energy he  _ could  _ be putting into something actually important, like KaibaCorp, or dueling. On the very rare occasions he did, it was simply a way to blow off excess steam as fast as possible—he never thought about much as he was doing it. Certainly not another person. He attempted to do the same this time, clearing his mind even as his movements quickened. 

 

It was a futile effort. Because, god, he kept going back to that dream. It was already fading from his memory, but he remembered the sensations, how  _ good  _ they felt, how much he wanted them in that moment. He thought about Atem’s hands, so soft and unspeakably warm, like he embodied the sun itself. Thought about what it would be like to touch him in return, feeling over his smooth muscles, and burying his hands into that ridiculous hair. Imagined what the pharaoh might look like more exposed, even further than he had been yesterday. Kaiba was certain he’d be gorgeous, irresistible. Pictured the look on his face as Seto ran cool hands over his nipples, face flushed and dreamy in his lust, lips curved into one of those infuriating, impish smiles over his teeth…

 

And  _ fuck,  _ what if Kaiba kissed him, capturing those lips against his own, greedily swallowing down any noises of protest. What if he tasted them, crashing them together again and again until Atem was breathless and lost, wiping that smirk off of his face for good. Horrified, Kaiba realized he was moaning unabashedly, and swiftly bit down on a finger to stifle it. He had to stop, this was going off the rails, but once he started he couldn’t reroute himself, it felt so much  _ better  _ than it ever had before and he almost whimpered as his fingers swirled over the slick head of his cock. He wanted to hear  _ Atem  _ whimpering with pleasure, wanted to practically devour him until his rival couldn’t remember anything else but him. Images came to him unbidden of Atem trailing kiss bitten lips down his body, over his inner thighs, teasing him until he was shaking with need, before finally,  _ finally  _ wrapping his lips around his—around his—

 

His orgasm hit him so unexpectedly he bit angry red crescents into his fist, jerking with a punched out noise as he spilled all over his stomach. 

 

In the aftermath of it all, he slumped back into the bed, feeling like his brain was full of static. For one blessed minute, the only thing in the world that existed was him, his bed, and the sound of his own heaving breaths. Then, his mind was forced back to reality, and in his frustration he slammed his fist into the mattress. 

 

Because his plan had backfired spectacularly. Somehow, he  _ still wasn’t satisfied  _ and if anything he felt worse, startlingly empty and unfulfilled. That had felt better than anything he had ever done to himself and yet all he could think about was bronzed skin, jewel toned eyes, and warm smiles that inevitably melted every self defense he had ever set up for himself. 

 

Growling, Kaiba pressed his palms into his eyes and came to the realization that he was  _ worse  _ than in trouble. Seto, to put it bluntly, was  _ screwed.  _

 

* * *

__

By the time the sun was blazing high above the distant sand dunes, Kaiba was forced to admit he wouldn’t be getting any sleep after all. The results of his…  _ experiment  _ had only served to make him more keyed up, and he had spent the rest of his time in bed tossing and turning in ways he hadn’t experienced since he was a child. Eventually, he forced himself up, staring bleary eyed and disgruntled at the stone floor of his bedroom.

 

Fuck. What was he going to do now? 

 

The problem wasn’t any lack of initiative or willpower on his part. Kaiba was no stranger to going after something he desired. When he wanted something, he pursued it with ferocity, uncaring of the disaster he might leave in his wake. That tenacity was what had gotten him adopted by Gozaburo, was what had earned him KaibaCorp—was what brought him  _ here.  _ No, the problem wasn’t lack of  _ wanting.  _ It was something, far, far more terrifying than that. 

 

For the first time in his life, Kaiba didn’t know  _ what  _ he wanted. 

 

It had been so easy, when he could tell himself all he needed was a simple duel. Kaiba had initially wondered how much of  _ that  _ had been a lie, a front, but ruled it out after careful consideration. He still wanted to duel Atem. Hell, even accepting that he maybe wanted his companionship, as a friend, was something he eventually came around to. But  _ attraction  _ was completely new, uncharted territory.  _ Attraction  _ had never once factored into any of Kaiba’s gameplans 

 

Because what did that attraction mean? Was it simply an admiration thing, something Seto could appreciate from afar? It felt so all consuming that it was hard to imagine  _ not  _ acting on it, and the images he had conjured up while getting himself off were too passionate to ignore. Did he want to kiss Atem? Have sex with him? The thought alone made him tremble with desire, but he knew that want was deceptively simple. It was easy enough to admit you wanted to touch someone—have them touch you back. It was a basic human need. One he had initially thought himself above, yes, but the science of it all made sense.

 

Unfortunately, he had a sinking feeling that it went far deeper than that. Kaiba didn’t know the first thing about  _ relationships,  _ other than that they existed. Admitting you felt so deeply for someone who wasn’t trusted family… it was terrifying, more so than anything he had ever faced. 

 

Because what would  _ Atem  _ think? You couldn't force someone to want you. It wasn’t something you could buy with money. If Atem decided he was disgusted by him, then there wasn’t anything he could do to change that. 

 

Kaiba shuddered, shoving himself to his feet and hastily getting dressed. He needed a bath. Preferably a cold one. 

 

Once he was clothed and fully ready to ignore anyone and everyone for the rest of the day, he opened his bedroom door, and came face to face with Mahado. 

 

For a second, he froze on the spot. He hadn’t expected to see the priest there—he seemed like he had been decidedly avoiding him since they met in the gardens, and given his reluctance to share Atem’s attention, that had suited Kaiba just fine. He refused to be intimidated by his rival’s old friends. What  _ did  _ send a chill through him was that he had no idea how long Mahado had been waiting outside. Had he heard anything? Did he  _ know?  _

 

If he did, he gave no indication of it, and looked back at Kaiba with his usual narrow, impassive eyes. Frowning, Kaiba made sure to draw himself back up to his full height. It looked like he was going to have to be the one to break the silence. “Are you here to evict me?” 

 

Mahado blinked slowly, the only indication that he had even heard him. Something about him made Kaiba feel like he was under a microscope, and he didn’t care for it. “No,” he finally replied. “I was simply here to check on you.” 

 

Seto  _ tsked  _ under his breath. If he could bring himself to face Atem again anytime soon, he was going to have to have a talk with him about his nosey staff. “For what purpose? I’m not a child that needs to be coddled.” 

 

Again, no change in facial expression, save for the slight tick he saw in the other man’s jaw. “His highness told me you went to sleep feeling unwell last night. I’m here to ease his conscious.” 

 

So it was Atem’s doing. Kaiba should have been angry he was being treated like the slightest breeze would make him keel over, but there was a warmth in there somewhere deep down, knowing that his rival clearly worried for him. He anxiously quashed it. “As you can see, I’m clearly in one piece. Tell your pharaoh he’s free to stop fretting over me anytime.” He crossed his arms, hoping the aura of  _ not caring  _ he was projecting would suffice. 

 

That got a reaction. Mahado narrowed his eyes at him, sharp and disapproving, and it was easily the most outwardly irritated Kaiba had seen him—outside of when he was inhabiting a  _ card,  _ apparently. Seto wasn’t even going to try to understand how  _ that  _ worked. 

 

They stared each other down in tense silence. There was something knowing in Mahado’s dark eyes, something that made Kaiba want to squirm and  _ run,  _ but his pride kept him rooted to the spot. He was irrationally sure Mahado was going to tell him that he knew of every thought and dream, every indecent desire he’d ever held for his pharaoh, but after what felt like years, the priest finally tore his gaze away, looking down the hallway. “You misunderstand him.” 

 

The relief Kaiba felt at having dodged  _ that  _ confrontation was quickly tempered by the sheer amount of indignation that rose up within him at the implication that he, apparently, didn’t know his rival as well as this guy did. “ _ Really? _ Please enlighten me then—what exactly am I misunderstanding here?” He spat, bristling. 

 

“You mistake my pharaoh’s worry for pity, or derision. I can assure you that’s not the case.” 

 

He was right, Seto knew. He was well past believing Atem would ever mock him for any of his perceived weaknesses, but that didn’t mean he had to admit it to the guy. “I’m sure he has far better things to worry about. I’m capable of looking after myself.” 

 

Mahado shook his head. “You still don’t understand. While it’s true that the pharaoh has other duties and responsibilities, even in his eternal rest, I’ve long since given up trying to quell his self sacrificing nature. I’m sure this is something you have observed as well.” 

 

Kaiba snorted at that. “It’s impossible to miss. Tell me something I don’t know already.” 

 

He swore he nearly saw Mahado roll his eyes. Yet the priest continued. “He cares, and feels, deeply. For all his bravery, none of his nobility and sacrifice would mean anything to him if it wasn’t all done in the service of those he loves. He has put himself in danger for me—someone who exists to serve him—more times than I would care to admit. That great love extends to all of us—his people and country. It’s why he gave up his life to save them, to be sealed away for centuries, so long ago.” 

 

Seto twitched impatiently, shuffling from one foot to the next. Was Mahado just bored? Was that why he showed up, to entertain himself and ruin Kaiba’s day more than he himself already had? He already knew all of this. Other people were so  _ boring.  _ “So what?” 

 

“That love runs even fiercer for the special few who are lucky enough to be close to him. His family—his friends.” Kaiba had to bite his tongue to keep the sudden swell of resentment he felt from showing. Atem sure hadn’t been great at  _ not leaving  _ those friends. “I was told  _ you  _ were among those, when he existed in the other time. That’s why he’s permitted you to stay here. Am I wrong?” 

 

“Of course not. He’s my greatest rival.” 

 

“And you are one of his greatest friends.”

 

Kaiba swallowed. His face felt hot, his heart was hammering out of control, and Mahado’s godforsaken eyes were staring right through him again, just  _ daring  _ him to deny it. He wasn’t, of course—he wouldn’t—but this felt like more of an interrogation than a casual conversation about a friend. Kaiba tried to keep his expression stoic, but he was  _ sure  _ Mahado could see through the bullshit. Without thinking, he nodded. 

 

That seemed to calm the tension in the air ever so slightly. The intensity of Mahado’s gaze had slackened, at least. “Then you know know why he worries, and why I decided to seek you out.” He shrugged, and for a split second, Kaiba could see all of the world weariness and fondness that seemed to make up the priest. “It’s in his nature.” 

 

Silence descended upon them once more. Kaiba knew that their conversation was meant to throw him off, to try to peel back his carefully constructed self defenses, and he wasn’t having it. The weight to Mahado’s voice had unsettled him. He knew the longer they talked about Atem, the higher the chances were for him to slip up and ruin everything—not that he cared what the pharaoh’s priest friends thought, but he had realized with a sickening lurch that he did care what  _ Atem  _ thought. 

 

Clearing his throat, he took a step forward, hoping Mahado would take the hint. “If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be.” 

 

He had barely moved when Mahado’s voice rang out again, stopping him in his tracks. “Did he tell you that I’ve known him since he could barely walk?” Kaiba stayed facing away from him, unsure how to respond. The priest seemed to take his silence as an invitation to continue. “When I was young, I was tasked with guarding him, as a fellow child of nobility. It was a mission I took extremely seriously—few adults would have wanted to take on that responsibility. Especially as the prince seemed to have no concept of  _ self preservation.”  _ And Seto would have laughed at that, had the situation been different. “I would have gladly given my life for him. Instead, he saved  _ mine.  _ It was that moment I knew that, king or no king, I would defend him always. I pledged loyalty to him forever.” 

 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

 

A beat, and then Seto heard calm, steady footsteps approaching. Mahado came to a stop by his side, staring down the same long hallway, and Kaiba felt his presence more than saw it. “My promise to him still stands. He’s endured so much unwarranted hardship… my only purpose now is to make sure he’s as rested and content in death as he can possibly be. And while I would never betray my king,” The mood was suddenly thick with tension again, and it was all Kaiba could do to keep still. “Should anything  _ threaten  _ that happiness,” Piercing brown slid over to meet his, pinning him to the spot. “With his majesty’s permission, I will do everything in my power to  _ neutralize  _ that threat.” 

 

The words seemed to physically hang in the air around them. Intimidation was a tactic Seto knew very well, and while his mind was panicking with  **_fuck_ ** _ , he knows he knows,  _ his desire not to lose the game was even stronger, and he refused to turn away. If it meant refusing to show weakness, Kaiba wouldn’t even blink. 

 

Finally,  _ finally,  _ after what felt like an eternity, Mahado broke their gaze and dipped his head in a nod farewell, disappearing down the corridor. 

 

For a minute, Kaiba just watched him leave. Then, clenching his fists, he swept away down the hall, practically seething at the audacity of it all. 

 

He was going to get that bath, and then he was going to ignore every single human being for the entire goddamn  _ day.  _

 

* * *

“Ahh, Kaiba! There you are.”

 

Kaiba had been leaving the baths when he heard it. The heat from the steamy water and the seclusion had left him feeling slightly more relaxed then he’d been when he entered it, and for a few blissful minutes, his mind had been at ease. Maybe as long as he stayed hidden, he could work through this himself. No nosey servants, no Mahado, no unfairly gorgeous pharaohs… just him alone with his thoughts. 

 

That all came crashing down the moment Atem’s voice stopped him halfway out the door. 

 

A chill shot down his spine, grinding his stride to a halt, and Kaiba cursed each and every Egyptian deity he could think of for bringing him the very last person he wanted to see. Did Atem’s godhood grant him a sixth sense for Kaiba’s suffering too? Was he doing this on purpose? 

 

Slowly, he turned just enough that it didn’t look like he was ignoring him. He was still stupidly attractive as he’d ever been, just as Seto had feared—he was dressed down today too, free of all jewelry save for his crown. “Atem.” 

 

The pharaoh took him in for a moment, eyes searching as if to see if Kaiba was missing any pieces, before nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction. “I was wondering about you after last night, but Mahado told me this morning that you were well. I’m glad.” 

 

“Yes, he made his intentions  _ very  _ clear.” Seto ground out, keeping his body carefully angled away from Atem. Seeing his shoulders and neck so bare of any trappings only made him think of his fantasies from the night before, and he cursed himself now for the heat that was rising to his face. 

 

“Good. Because I’m taking your advice.” 

 

That peaked Kaiba’s curiosity. “Oh?”

 

Atem nodded, looking awfully proud of himself in ways that made Kaiba nervous. “I’m taking the day off today.” 

 

Seto blinked. “...The day off.”

 

“Right.” 

 

Now Kaiba fully turned to him, incredulous. “The day off. From being a pharaoh.” 

 

“You heard me.” 

 

Kaiba opened his mouth. Shut it again. He had a sickening feeling in his gut that this was going the exact  _ opposite  _ way he’d been hoping it would go. “Is that even allowed?” 

 

“It is now!” His rival grinned and planted his hands on his hips, and he was so smug that Kaiba had to resist the urge to smack him. 

 

“I don’t recall telling you you should just  _ stop being pharaoh for the day.”  _

 

“Too bad, because that’s what I’ve decided to do.” There was that challenging glint in his eye, the one that always made Kaiba’s heart race. “And you’re going to spend it with me.” 

 

Oh,  _ fuck.  _ Seto felt his heart drop. That was the absolute  _ last  _ thing he’d wanted to hear. Panicking, he quickly tore his gaze from Atem’s, delivering a clipped “No thanks.” 

 

There was a beat of silence—surprise?—before Atem spoke next. “What?” 

 

“I said no thanks. I’m busy today.” 

 

“Busy.” His rival echoed, and Kaiba could hear the skepticism in his voice. “With what, exactly?” 

 

“I need to fix my phone. I’m tired of waiting for the sun to wake me up.” And it wasn’t a lie, not really, but he was hoping it would throw Atem off his trail. “We’ll have to reschedule for another day.” 

 

He chanced a look over his shoulder and would have laughed at the affronted expression on the pharaoh’s face if he hadn’t been so nervous. Kaiba was sure he wasn’t used to be denied often. “You’re telling me you’re going to turn down a day together, after storming after me and demanding my attention in front of my entire palace, so you can lock yourself up and invent  _ electricity?”  _

 

“Yep.” Kaiba confirmed, giving a two finger salute as he turned and walked away. “See you.” 

 

Seto was in the process of patting himself on the back for his quick thinking when Atem’s voice rang out through the halls, commanding and authoritative, and the sound of it sent a  _ thrill  _ down his spine that had him stopping in his tracks. “That wasn’t a request,  _ Kaiba.”  _

 

The sound of it echoed in his ears. He wanted to fight against it, be petulant and defiant, but the sheer depth of it kept him rooted to the spot and feeling hot all over.  _ Fuck,  _ he was in deep. He was in way too deep, why couldn’t he  _ say  _ anything—

 

Apparently taking his silence as a confirmation, Atem spoke up again, all gravel in his voice gone. “Good. I’ll pick you up outside the palace in about an hour.” A pause. “Make sure you leave your coat behind.” 

 

* * *

And that was how Kaiba found himself standing back outside the palace gates, clad only in his black bodysuit, on the day he’d hoped to have entirely to himself.

 

Life was pain. 

 

He could have ignored him. He’d thought about doing as much, but Kaiba knew Atem was second only to  _ him  _ in stubbornness, and probably would have dragged him out kicking and screaming if he had to. It was part of what made him so exciting to be around, as well as infuriating. His true rival. His one and only equal. 

 

Kaiba could only hope with all his might that they were doing something innocent and far apart today. 

 

Then the usual commotion happened, Sabah came rushing around the corner with her chariot, and Kaiba felt his throat go  _ dry.  _

 

Because Atem was shirtless. 

 

Of course he was shirtless. 

 

“Hello, Kaiba!” He called out, waving, and Seto could only grunt in response. 

 

It was the most naked he’d ever seen him, by far. He was still completely lacking any body jewelry, sans his crown (Which Kaiba was sure was sealed on somehow), but if anything it only made his figure  _ more  _ magnetic. His torso was well muscled and lean, and his sun kissed skin was practically gleaming. The only article of clothing he did have on were a pair of form fitting, white shorts, far, far too tight for Seto’s liking, with a layer of extra fabric that doubled as a skirt. The fabric accentuated his shapely thighs, and when he managed to tear his gaze away from them, Atem’s eyes were bright and alight with excitement. 

 

Forget the Field of Reeds. Kaiba was in  _ hell.  _

 

“Come on!” The pharaoh chirped, gesturing to the back of the chariot. “We’re losing daylight.” 

 

Kaiba felt like he was on the surface of the moon. Nodding, dazed, he walked stiffly over to the chariot, desperately trying to look anywhere but the literal god in front of him. It didn’t really help, especially when his eyes found their way to Sabah and he realized the horse was side-eyeing him again—almost as if she, too, knew exactly what was going through his head and disapproved. It was ridiculous, but he glared back at her petulantly anyway, trying to maintain his dignity.  

 

Any hope of that was dashed when he realized that he and Atem would nearly be pressed together in the chariot. 

 

Their ride together this time around was blessedly short, although far more tormenting. He had been so focused on not staring (and simultaneously definitely staring) at Atem’s bronzed shoulders that he was surprised when the pharaoh informed him that they were almost there. The banks of the Nile were surprisingly lush and green, and the river itself was as endless as he’d ever heard. The water looked different here than he’d seen in pictures—cleaner, bluer—and he wondered if that was another effect of this world being part of the reward for Atem. 

 

On the other hand, he was completely lost as to why, exactly, they were here. That is, until he saw the long, flat topped boat waiting for them. 

 

“Boating,” he choked out, dazedly, as Atem brushed past him to get to work on untacking his horse. “We’re going boating.” 

 

The grin his rival shot him was borderline  _ predatory,  _ and it sent his fight or flight instincts haywire. “You’re so observant, _ Kaiba _ .” 

 

It was about then Seto realized that there was no one there manning the canoe. Which meant that not only would he be spending his entire day with Atem, but they would be completely alone, one on one, in the middle of one of the longest rivers in the world and no easy way to up and leave if things went south. Everything inside him was screaming to just turn around, walk away, pretend none of this ever happened. Go back to bed, start a new day. Do  _ anything  _ other than get in that boat. 

 

But then, that would be cowardly, he thought. Seto Kaiba was no coward. 

 

So when Atem gestured him over to the boat with a wave, smiling and perfect, Kaiba hopelessly followed after him. 

 

Once Sabah was taken care of and grazing, they were off, with Atem pushing the boat into the water. It was surprisingly large, Kaiba noted—large enough to seat multiple people, which made the fact that they were alone all the more suspicious. Placed in the middle of the canoe was a small table and a gaming board, one Kaiba recognized as Hounds and Jackals. He looked questionly up at Atem, who seated himself across from him. 

 

“There. Now this isn’t so bad, is it?” The pharaoh was saying, face practically daring Seto to claim otherwise. “I thought after what happened yesterday, we could use a do-over. I don’t think we’ll be rained on this time.” 

 

Kaiba didn’t think so either. The clouds today were large, but bright, and the sun peeked prettily through them. The light was casting shadows across Atem’s chest, between the dips and curves of his muscles, and he realized with a horrified start that he’d been openly staring. “Let’s just get this over with.” He growled, sounding more annoyed than he actually was. “Your move, pharaoh.” 

 

For a long moment, Atem didn’t respond. There was a frown on his face, like he had just confirmed some unfortunate truth to himself, but it was soon replaced with his usual cool smile. “As you wish.” He said, grabbing a handful of the jackal headed gaming sticks. “Game start.” 

 

They played quietly. For how long, Kaiba wasn’t sure. Hours, maybe. Honestly, it could have been days for all he knew. He was trying so hard not to drink in the sight of Atem, half naked and glorious, sitting an arm’s length away from him. It was completely shameless, and Kaiba couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing it on purpose, if he’d figured it out too and was parading himself around to distract his rival. Seto wouldn’t really put it past him—except that would mean he knew what Kaiba’s feelings were, and wasn’t actively turned off. Which he wasn’t sure was as likely of a possibility as he might like. 

 

And it wasn’t as though Kaiba thought of himself as unattractive. Objectively, he knew he was handsome. But unlike their fellow peers, Atem had never expressed interest in  _ anyone  _ in… that way. At least, not that he’d known of. Atem, he always figured, was like himself—he  _ breathed  _ games and challenge. Other than his obsessive loyalty to his friends, Seto had thought he was like him. That they were perfectly matched. 

 

Now, he wasn’t so sure. And even if by some miracle they  _ were _ … what would that mean for them? What would change?

 

“You know, you’re lucky I know you, Kaiba, or I might think you weren’t giving our game your full attention.” 

 

Seto jerked up, face far too hot for his liking. As embarrassing as it was for him to be zoning out, being accused of phoning it in made him feel even more affronted. Really, how dare he? “Don’t insult me. I’ve been paying  _ complete  _ attention.” He growled, moving his hound player piece across the board. “I was just wondering why you insisted we do this today.” 

 

“Do I need an excuse to want to spend the day gaming in beautiful surroundings with a friend?” The pharaoh retorted, eyebrow quirked.

 

“No,” Kaiba sniffed. “But I don’t see what the emergency is.” 

 

“That’s not what you said yesterday.” 

 

“Well, that was yesterday.” 

 

“Mmmmm.” Atem hummed thoughtfully, jumping ahead with his player piece. He was pursing his lips thoughtfully, yet his eyes sported a far away look that told Kaiba that  _ he  _ wasn’t paying full attention to their match either. “You’ve seemed a little off since then.” 

 

_ Shit.  _ Kaiba kept his face carefully blank, but his heart rate spiked all the same. Challenge or no, he was  _ not  _ ready to have this conversation. “Maybe I’m tired.” 

 

His quirked an eyebrow at him. “That’s funny. I’ve never known you to get tired.”

 

“There’s a first time for everything.” 

 

“Kaiba, what’s wrong?” Atem finally asked, exhaling the words in a frustrated rush. “Something is bothering you, I can tell. You haven’t even looked me in the eye since that storm.” 

 

Oh. Guilt. That’s what he was feeling stabbing at his gut now. Kaiba swallowed. There was a part of him that really did want to tell Atem everything, spill out all the things he had been keeping so carefully concealed, and live with the consequences. That was how he  _ usually  _ did things. But this… there was no going back from something like that, was there? And he had sacrificed so much to get here. 

 

So he huffed, running his hand across his face in exasperation. “When will you all stop treating me like I’m made of glass?! If you’re worried I’m going to fade to dust again, don’t. I would just find a way back somehow.” 

 

“No,” his rival said thoughtfully, resting his head in his palm. “There’s something going on inside your head. You’ve only ever looked so far away when you were losing some battle.” The sunlight caught his eyes, open and pretty, and Kaiba realized there were flecks of violet mixed in with the red. “I’m all ears.” 

 

“I can’t talk about it.” Seto blurted out before he could stop himself. Why did he have to be so damn  _ distracting?  _ If he wasn’t persistent before, he definitely would be now. 

 

Atem leaned back in his seat, all traces of the game seemingly forgotten. His face was so  _ gentle,  _ Kaiba wasn’t sure if he wanted to smack him or kiss him. “Can’t or won’t?”

 

“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.” 

 

A sigh. “Kaiba… you know I won’t think any less of you for needing to talk to someone, right?” 

 

_ I know,  _ he thought with a swallow. Atem probably wouldn’t shame him for his feelings, he was too obnoxiously nice for that. He probably wouldn’t kick him out of his realm, either. But he could be  _ pitied,  _ and somehow that was even worse. So, eventually, he shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I can work this out on my own. Besides,” and he smirked, moving his player piece to the end of the board. “It looks like you’re the one who’s no longer paying attention. I win.” 

 

Atem looked at the board and then back up at him, face thoroughly unimpressed. Kaiba wondered when winning against him got so  _ casual,  _ though the thrill was always there. They stared each other down for a moment before Atem let out another sigh, clapping his hands against his lap and pushing himself to his feet. “Fine. I see how it is.” 

 

Kaiba frowned, watching him. “Where are  _ you  _ going?” 

 

“If you’re just going to ignore me, then I guess we have nothing else to discuss.” Stopping at the edge of the boat, he turned and moved his fingers in a little salute, clearly imitating Kaiba from earlier. “ _ See you.”  _

 

And then he fell backwards, disappearing under the water. 

 

_ What.  _

 

Seto blinked. Blinked again when Atem failed to reappear the first time. He had long since learned to always expect the unexpected when it came to his rival, but did he seriously leave him on his own in the middle of the  _ Nile?  _ What the fuck? 

 

Hesitantly, he leaned forward in his seat, trying to catch any movement under the surface of the water. “Pharaoh?” Careful to stay balanced, he stood up, hoping the new vantage point would allow him to spot him. “Atem?” 

 

No answer. 

 

Then, a rustle against one side of the boat. Kaiba instantly felt suspicious, but if he was being toyed with, he refused to let his rival get to him. Slowly, he inched to the edge of their vessel, careful to keep his movements quiet, and peered into the clear blue water. Nothing. Where the hell did he—

 

Suddenly, the opposite side of the boat lurched forward, and Kaiba was thrust headfirst into the water. 

 

For a minute, he scrambled, bubbles and sand clouding his vision until he wasn’t sure which way was up anymore. When he managed to right himself, breaking above the surface of the water with a gasp, Atem was floating across from him only a few feet away. The pharaoh’s face was so unbearably smug that Kaiba knew instantly what had happened. “Oh, you  _ little—“  _

 

Water was splashed against his face, shocking him. All he could do was stare, gobsmacked, as Atem clearly tried and failed to hold back laughter in front of him. “Oh? I’m sorry, what was that?” 

 

He had splashed him. That cocky little asshole had  _ splashed him.  _

 

Once he had his bearings back, Kaiba snarled and retaliated with a far more aggressive attack against the pharaoh, biting back a smile as it was met with barks of laughter. Atem disappeared under the water again, and before he even had time to react, he felt himself being yanked under by one of his legs. Seto kicked out, feeling himself barely missing his target, before bursting above the surface again, panting. Atem was already swimming lazy circles around him, just out of arm’s reach, and Kaiba rotated as he followed him, refusing to take his eyes off for a second. 

 

“Foul play,  _ pharaoh.”  _

 

“Really? I wasn’t aware there were rules to this game.” Atem’s gaze was sharklike as he paddled through the water, and Kaiba tried to keep himself from being hypnotised by it. “You know, we Egyptians are excellent swimmers. We hold annual competitions, even. I’ve won several.” 

 

Seto was doing his best to stay irritated, but it was hard to do that when the water slipping off of his skin in rivulets only served to make his skin gleam even brighter, practically taunting him, and the cooler temperatures were causing his nipples to peak. He was overwhelmed with the urge to touch, to taste him. It was hard to keep his voice steady when he spoke. “I ought to drown you for this.” 

 

“Is that a challenge?” 

 

“So what if it is?” 

 

“Alright then, Kaiba,” and in an instant Atem was in his face, practically nose to nose, and his eyes were fiery with tease and defiance. They were so  _ close,  _ and he couldn’t see anything but them now. Seto forgot how to breath. “Try and  _ catch  _ me then.” 

 

He disappeared again under the surface of the river, leaving Kaiba dizzy with exhilaration. Seconds passed, and all thoughts of restraint went out the window as Kaiba tore off after him, ducking under and trying to grab his feet as he shot ahead of him. He was fast, but Seto wasn’t an inexperienced swimmer himself, and he managed to keep the pace with him by surfacing and grabbing gulps of air periodically before diving down again. 

 

Eventually, Atem made a fatal error by trying to swerve off in another direction—probably to taunt him, the bastard—only for Kaiba to crash into him at full force, catching him around his arms and yanking them both above the water. Atem’s chest was heaving, and the part of Kaiba’s brain that was still functioning rationally warned him that this was  _ very  _ dangerous territory, but Atem was so  _ warm  _ and solid in his grasp. He was strong too, struggling against his arms with a fierceness that surprised him, only encouraging Kaiba to tighten his hold. 

 

This was it, some oft ignored part of him supplied. This was everything he had ever wanted. 

 

“ _ Kaiba,  _ let me go!” Atem insisted between hiccuping laughter, squirming deliciously against his body. “I am a  _ king!”  _

 

“Not today you aren’t.” Seto practically leered. “This is your day off,  _ remember?”  _

 

Atem made his opinion of  _ that  _ clear by kicking him square in the stomach. 

 

They went on like that for what felt like forever, wrestling and chasing until one caught the other, and then wrestling again. Kaiba had dunked Atem’s head completely under water at one point. Atem had assaulted him with kicks so fierce he was sure he’d be littered in bruises come the next morning. 

 

They were being shameless, undignified, and Seto may have been more than a little turned on every time their bodies made contact, but everything seemed so much less important when Seto was playing with the literal king of games in ways he’d never been allowed to experience, even as a child. Slowly, he felt his initial reluctance and shock slip from his fingers like sand, rendered increasingly unimportant by the body currently trying to scramble on to his back, and the laughter ringing in his ears. 

 

And when he caught glimpses of that delighted smile, he’d be lying if he ever claimed he didn’t return it. 

 

* * *

 

“Well, I’d say this board is thoroughly wrecked beyond repair.” 

 

Kaiba snorted, glancing to his side where their game board laid in shambles from when Atem nearly capsized their boat. “And whose fault is that?” 

 

“Clearly yours for being so stubborn.” 

 

They were lying parallel to each other on the flat surface of the boat, having exhausted themselves a while before. The sun was finally starting to make its gradual descent, illuminating the clouds in soft oranges and pinks, casting the river around them in a warm glow. Citizens who had spent the day fishing were returning to the shores with their hauls, and farmers who owed their living to the precious waters irrigating their plants were finishing up the day’s crops, giving the pair of them curious looks as they floated by. 

 

Seto didn’t normally lounge like this—or lounge at  _ all,  _ really—but his lack of sleep combined with all the physical activity had taken its toll. 

 

Atem, however, seemed bound and determined to soak up whatever rays of sunshine were left, spread out lazily at his side. He was basking like it was the only thing he knew how to do, and Kaiba would have needled him for it if he didn’t look so beautiful. His closed eyes meant Seto was allowed to look at him as much as he pleased, and he took full advantage, drinking in the sight of him greedily. It was the first time he could say he’d ever seen Atem fully relaxed, too. 

 

Heaving a sigh, he let his own eyes fall shut. He really was in too deep. 

 

Kaiba was going to have to tell him. 

 

The thought made nerves crackle like lightning in his stomach, but it was the truth. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but… soon. The feeling was too much for him to ignore, and Atem had made it  _ very  _ clear that he would be a thorn in his side if he continued to try to avoid him. He wouldn’t be allowed to get away with being cagey for much longer. If he put it off too long, the next thing he knew Atem would want to  _ bathe  _ with him. Kaiba shuddered at the thought. 

 

No… no, he was going to have to tell him. Or at least drop some very obvious hints. He just wasn’t sure  _ how.  _

 

“You know, I’ve never seen you with your hair wet.” 

 

Aaaand leave it to his rival to derail his thoughts. Huffing, he glanced over at Atem, who was now laying on his stomach and looking at him with amusement. “You’re just lucky this suit was waterproof.” A pause. “And your hair looks stupid.” 

 

“Wow. That was rude.” The pharaoh rolled his eyes, exasperated. “Why is my hair stupid?” 

 

Like he had to explain it. Atem’s hair, save for his bangs, seemed completely unaffected by water, spiked as ever. He smirked. “It just is.” 

 

“Okay then,” he shrugged, changing the subject. “Where did you learn how to swim like that?” 

 

“Mokuba is fond of it. We have our own pool, and I get dragged out sometimes.” The the thought of his brother instantly made something in him ache, something nostalgic and sad. Seto had never been away from him for so long. “He always wants to race.” 

 

Atem’s eyes widened a fraction, like he had just told him a secret. Before he could  ask, it was replaced by a warm smile, so understanding it made him almost fidget at the intimacy of it. “You miss him, don’t you?” 

 

Kaiba almost wanted to protest, to tell Atem it was none of his business, but in that moment he realized he was right. He did miss his brother, with a fierceness that surprised him, and he wasn’t going to deny that. On top of that, he had admittedly started feeling a little guilty for leaving Mokuba in such a rush, with no way to contact him. There was a good chance he thought Kaiba was dead by now, and he was finding it hard to stomach the thought. “Maybe. What’s it to you?”

 

“Nothing,” Atem replied, looking thoughtful, and Seto wondered for possibly the billionth time what was going through his head. “Nothing at all.” 

 

Suspicious, but too tired to pursue the conversation any further, Kaiba once again let his eyes fall shut. 

 

He was going to have to tell him. 

 

* * *

  
  


It would be a few days before Kaiba realized what Atem had been plotting. A few long, thoughtful days, that Seto almost felt like he was watching from a distance every time his rival called upon him to spend time together. Which had been often. In fact, it seemed like anytime the pharaoh had a free moment they were spending it together, either dueling, playing games, or just talking about things Kaiba had never cared to know before, and suddenly found himself craving now. 

 

Conversations about how Atem was an only child and how he sometimes envied Kaiba’s relationship with his brother, about how he had a beloved cat name Kuri, and how he really, really hated  _ batarekh.  _ Kaiba would talk about his ideas for future inventions, and how worryingly fast Mokuba had been growing. They would play senet by candlelight, and he would watch as Atem cooed at his awful horse in ways that were completely unfitting for a king. 

 

It was all so simple. Pointless. A way of living he’d once thought of himself as above.

 

Seto loved every minute of it. 

 

But it was torture, too. Every day Atem would greet him, smiling and stunningly gorgeous, and every day Kaiba died a little inside as he fought the urge to dive in and find out  _ exactly  _ what those lips tasted like. He would walk alongside him as his rival talked about something utterly mundane and quietly seethe, wondering if  _ this  _ was it, this was the moment he should make his move. The timing never seemed right. He was starting to wonder if the moment would  _ ever  _ seem right. 

 

Meanwhile, Atem was carelessly wriggling his way past all of his carefully laid defenses like he was made to do so. Bit by bit, Kaiba felt his dam start to break.

 

It was the beginning of the end for him. 

 

“Wait, Kaiba.” 

 

Seto came to a stop in front of his door, frowning perplexedly. Atem had been accompanying him back to his quarters, as he usually did, after a round of intense dueling before bed. Surely he didn’t want another game—not that Kaiba would be opposed. “Hmm? What is it?” 

 

Right off the bat, he was a little concerned. Atem had his  _ mischievous  _ face on—the same one he usually got when he had the upper hand in the battlefield. Kaiba knew it far too well at this point. “So, being dead has certain benefits.” 

 

A quirked eyebrow. “...okay?”

 

“The passage of time has no meaning here. This place simulates day and night cycles like the world we came from, but none of us have to age unless we consciously choose to. The previous world’s timeline passes independent of our own, and for most people here, it’d be pointless to pay it any mind.” He was smirking now, holding his hands behind his back like he was concealing something, and Kaiba craned his neck to try to see over him. “However, I keep track for my own personal reasons. So I don’t miss any important dates.” 

 

Well. Okay. “I don’t really see where you’re going with this.” 

 

“What I’m trying to say is, I’ve been paying attention to where your world’s timeline is at, and if I’m not mistaken, today is  _ someone’s  _ birthday.” 

 

...Oh. Seto had completely forgotten. Not that he would have known exactly what day it was anyway, and frankly, he cared for his birthday even less. Birthdays were superfluous. More interesting to him was the fact that, if he was remembering it correctly, he had been living in the afterlife for  _ two whole months.  _ Blinking dumbly, he replied, “Do you even celebrate birthdays here?” 

 

Atem shrugged, an endearing smile playing about the corner of his lips. “That’s not important. What  _ is  _ important is that  _ your  _ people do, and I didn’t sleep on learning what that tradition entailed when Yugi and I shared a body.” Stepping forward, he gently placed a black rectangle in Seto’s hand, and he tried to ignore the way they brushed against each other. “Happy birthday, Kaiba.” 

 

Kaiba studied the object in his hand, brows furrowing in confusion when he realized what it was. “It’s… it’s my phone.” 

 

His rival was staring up at him like the cat that got the cream. “Yes.” 

 

“Your idea of a birthday gift was to just… hand me my phone.” 

 

“Mmmm.” 

 

There were times when Atem’s way of going about his life confused him. This one took the cake. “I don’t think you understand how any of this works.” 

 

That made Atem laugh, and while hardly an unwelcome sound, it only served to puzzle Kaiba even further. “And here I thought we promised not to underestimate each other.” He crossed his arms, before giving him an encouraging nod. “Try turning it on.” 

 

Now Seto knew he had to be crazy—his phone had run out of battery ages ago. Still, he shrugged and did what the pharaoh asked of him… only to nearly drop the phone in shock when the screen flickered on. 

 

One hundred percent battery. Full bars. Even his LTE appeared to be working. 

 

He worked his jaw, but no sound came out. It was impossible— _ should  _ have been impossible. Up until now, Kaiba had been the only one defying that. When he could finally speak, all that came out was, “How…?”

 

“Don’t be angry,” and his rival was already raising his hands in a placating motion,  _ that  _ couldn’t have been good, “but there may have been magic involved.” 

 

Kaiba looked at him, sharply, and held the phone almost protectively against his chest. “I thought I told you no—“

 

“I know, I know you’re not fond of it,” Atem admitted with a sigh, “but you mentioned repairing it the other day, and I could tell you’ve been thinking of Mokuba… it was the only thing I could think of that you’d have a use for. So Mahado and I put a communication spell on it. It should run concurrently with the world of the living now.” He glanced away, and Seto was astonished to see that he looked  _ awkward  _ for a moment. “I know you like to do the impossible on your own, but I thought… if I could ease your burden just this once, maybe it could help you feel like you never really left. I don’t know if that makes any sense.” 

 

It did make sense. Too much sense to Kaiba. Atem had deliberately gone against his wishes, and he should probably consider that a grave insult, but he was overcome with the opportunity of it all. He would get to reconnect to Mokuba again. He would get to tell him that he was alright, that he was  _ alive,  _ and maybe even make it up to him for leaving so abruptly. It was a gift that went well beyond having the comforts of modern technology again, and he knew Atem knew that. 

 

There was a strange tightness in his throat and he quickly swallowed it down, lest he embarrass himself permanently. He was at a loss for what to say, so he said the only thing he could. “Th… Thank you.” 

 

“ _ Wow.  _ There are two words I never thought I’d hear.” The pharaoh chuckled, eyes glinting with mirth. “But you are welcome. I hope this helps.” 

 

“Hmph!” Kaiba snorted, pocketing the phone. “I know what manners are,  _ your highness.”  _

 

“And I know enough about them to know you never use them.” 

 

This was good. This was familiar ground, their banter. Less of a chance for him to do or say something he’d regret, Kaiba thought, peering smugly down at his rival. “I’d like to know how you think it’s possible to climb the ranks to become the CEO of one of the world’s largest companies without knowing how to talk to another human being.” 

 

“I don’t know, but I’m sure you managed it.” 

 

Kaiba smiled ruefully, shaking his head. “Whatever you say. I’m just glad you finally stopped lying to yourself.” 

 

To his surprise, Atem cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

 

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Kaiba smirked, cocky and pleased. Really, who did Atem think he was fooling? “You can’t tell me you did this without the thought of being able to talk to your ridiculous friends again. So much for being too good for your past.” 

 

Atem visibly blanched at that, eyes widening like this was something he’d never even considered before _.  _ Something ominous seemed to come over the energy in the room, and Kaiba attempted to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you use it here and there. I think I still have Yugi’s number.” 

 

Correction: he  _ knew  _ he still had Yugi’s number. 

 

If anything, this had the opposite intended effect—Atem looked nearly  _ panicked  _ now, and Seto felt the cocksure tilt to his lips start to fade. “That’s… no, you don’t understand.” Atem sputtered, avoiding eye contact. “This was for  _ you.  _ I don’t desire any contact with them.” 

 

...Okay, now Kaiba was genuinely confused. On top of that, something else was rising up within him too, something old and bitter, and the alarm bells in the back of his head were telling him to drop it, but he pressed on, undeterred. “You’re telling me you want me to reconnect with  _ my  _ past, but you’re going to continue to ignore yours? How does that make any sense?” 

 

“Since when is Mokuba your  _ past?  _ I can see how much being apart from him has been affecting you lately. It’s been written all over your face.” 

 

And Seto wanted to tell him that  _ no, that’s not it, that’s not it at all,  _ and yet he couldn’t find the words. The hot resentment he’d been trying so hard to forget was at the forefront clouding his thoughts. “That’s not the point right now,” he waved off, “why are you so reluctant to acknowledge  _ anything?”  _

 

“Of course it’s the point. That is the entire reason we’re having this conversation in the first place.” 

 

“Don’t be a coward. Answer the question.” 

 

“Kaiba, we’ve discussed this already!” Atem groaned, rubbing at his temples. “I’m not interfering with their lives anymore. My trying to involve myself again would be nothing but detrimental to their progress as duelists and people! We need to let them move  _ on.”  _

 

Something in those words triggered a rush of hurt, anger, and defiance in Kaiba, and he found himself looming over the pharaoh before he even knew what was happening. “Oh  _ really?”  _ He snapped, icily. “Forgive me, I didn’t realize it was up to  _ you  _ how people are allowed to mourn. My mistake for not consulting first.” 

 

“What are you talking… my friends, including  _ Yugi,  _ understood why I had to leave them.” His rival stated emphatically, placing a hand over his heart. He was all fire and kingly authority, and Seto both resented it and craved  _ more  _ with ferocity unmatched. “It hurt, but I had a  _ duty  _ to fulfill, Kaiba! They understood that, and they accepted it. I couldn’t ignore my fate any longer.” 

 

“ _ Fuck  _ fate.” Kaiba growled, nearly shaking with the force of all of the warring emotions inside him.  _ Bad, this is  _ **_so_ ** _ bad _ , his rational mind told him, but fuck that too. “I’ve defied fate time and time again! I’ve commanded gods, and conquered cities! I’ve broken all known laws of the universe, defied every rule, and you’re talking to me about  _ fate?  _ Don’t make me laugh!” And he did, a manic, almost hysterical thing that betrayed how angry he was trying to feel. “Fate is for people weak minded enough to accept it. Everything you did was of your own volition. You  _ chose  _ to leave.” 

 

“So did you! _ ”  _ Atem snarled, hands curled into fists at his side. “What makes what I did so different from you leaving your brother to come here?” 

 

“Don’t you dare bring Mokuba into this.” He warned, voice low and dangerous. “And at least I have the courage to admit that I miss him.” 

 

“I had the courage to let them  _ go  _ so that they could become stronger people. Don’t talk to me about  _ courage.”  _

 

“I’m just giving you the honest truth. You’re lying to yourself.” 

 

“Why do you care?!” Atem was leaning into him now, and Seto was so overcome with fury and longing that it was hard to see straight. “You never even  _ liked  _ them!”

 

“Because unlike your  _ friends,  _ some people don’t appreciate being left without a  _ backwards fucking glance!” _

 

His words echoed through the halls, exposed for the world to see before Kaiba could stop it. The silence they brought on was tense and they both froze in the wake of them. Seto was panting hard. Atem’s face was marred by surprise and confusion. For a solid minute, neither moved, and Kaiba felt a livewire in his chest threatening to snap. 

 

And then, Atem was shaking his head, tired and resigned, for once looking far older than he actually was. “I’m leaving.” He announced quietly, already turning away from Kaiba. “Come talk to me when you start making sense.” 

 

That was it for Kaiba. The dam broke. The wire snapped. Something about seeing Atem leaving him, posture restrained and closed off, set off an avalanche he had no hope of stopping. In that moment, Seto Kaiba lost his  _ mind.  _

 

Because the next thing he knew he was grabbing Atem’s wrist, pressing him into the wall, and crashing his lips against his. 

 

* * *

 

For a few, blissful seconds, his mind went blank. 

 

Time slowed to a crawl. Seto couldn’t hear anything except the sound of blood roaring in his ears. 

 

Nothing seemed to matter anymore, and maybe nothing ever did. 

 

Because he was kissing Atem, and it was just as explosive as he always imagined it would be, and his lips were so  _ soft.  _

 

Then, he heard sharp noises of protest accompanied by hands were yanking back on his coat, and Kaiba felt horror as cold as ice run through his veins as he wrenched away. 

 

“ _ Kaiba!”  _

 

Oh god. 

 

Atem’s eyes were  _ huge,  _ almost as round as Yugi’s. His mouth was hanging open in shock, lips kiss swollen and red, and his chest was heaving as he took in lost oxygen. He made no move to speak, or really do anything to let Kaiba know how he felt about what had transpired. He didn’t need to. Seto could see it all over his face. 

 

Shock. Disgust. Rejection. 

 

_ Rejection rejection rejection  _

 

He whirled, taking off down the hallway at a pace just short of a run. Kaiba thought he might have heard someone calling his name, but he didn’t care. He just needed to get away from Atem as fast as possible. 

 

Through it all, a nausea as heavy as lead settled in his stomach, and he knew with a deep, abiding certainty that he had fucked up. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry 
> 
> Guys, I have been completely blown away by the support this fic has been receiving! Thank you all so much!! <3 I reread your comments all the time and they really inspire me to keep this monster going. I’ve been pretty busy this week, but I plan to start work on the next chapter ASAP, so hang in there!
> 
> (Fyi, I am also on twitter under pixel_galaxies2 if people wanna see me bitch about writing ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ )


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atem.exe has stopped working. 
> 
> (This will be a smaller chapter from Atem's POV! More in the author's note.)

“Are you sure you don’t want me to banish him, your majesty?” 

 

“Not now, Mahado, I’m thinking.” 

 

Atem was not having a good day. 

 

Death, for him, had been a learning experience. His childhood had been all about preparing for his role as leader of his country, learning how to conduct himself in front of the populace, keeping his body in shape, and of course, hours of studying material provided by his tutors were an absolute requirement. It wasn’t always the most exciting thing, growing up, but he had been a dutiful heir, and in return, he was well taken care of and well loved. He had been a playful child, happy and looked forward to becoming a just and fair king. Unfortunately, his father’s untimely passing meant he had ascended the throne sooner than he had expected, and his own death followed on its heels at a rate he didn’t think anyone could have predicted. 

 

That was fine. Obviously, no one wanted to die young, but doing so in defense of his kingdom was something that made him proud. Atem would do it again in a heartbeat if he could. 

 

The time he’d spent without his memories and, subsequently, his time in the modern world, on the other hand, had been fraught with uncertainty, danger, and more genuine love than he’d ever known what to do with courtesy of his and Yugi’s friends. No matter how dangerous things had gotten, no matter how many times he’d had to put his life on the line… he had been genuinely  _ happy,  _ and would have been content had he been forced to stay. It wasn’t like he and Yugi hadn’t talked about it. The burden of existing as a person with no identities, no memories, had simply been too great for him to bear, and he felt in his heart seeking all of that out was the right thing to do. And who could blame him? With his friends and his partner supporting him along the way, he truly believed  _ anything  _ was possible. 

 

Unfortunately, recovering his name had come with a caveat. Destiny wasn’t always kind, and he  _ had  _ lost the ceremonial duel. Leaving them had been painful, almost  _ unbearably  _ so, but seeing Yugi standing there, teary eyed and victorious, told him all he needed to know about the state of the companions he’d be leaving behind. 

 

They would be alright. He could see that now. When he turned and walked through the doors that bridged his way into the afterlife, he did it with the knowledge that he was no longer needed. That the choice that had been made for him had been right after all. 

 

So he left.

 

In comparison, life in Aaru had been almost eerily calm. Once the thrill of reuniting with family and friends he had once forgotten abided, settling into a new routine, to being a leader again, had been… odd, at the very least. Pushing the thought of his friends out of his mind, he had scrambled to remember everything he’d been taught. Atem’s people welcomed him back with open arms, but he felt woefully inadequate as a leader despite all assurances of the contrary. He had been gone for so _long…_ the fact that his kingdom still accepted him at all was astounding. So, he threw himself into his work, and tried not to balk too much when he realized there really wasn’t a whole lot of work to be done. Atem was _used_ to solving problems, used to working, and he had three thousand years to make up for. The thought of sitting around and basking in the spoils of his glory practically made his skin itch with repressed energy. 

 

He had told himself that one day, he would get used to it, that this would be his new normal, but even he had to admit that living through your eternal reward could get more than a little  _ boring  _ sometimes.

 

And then, Seto Kaiba came barreling back into his life with the nuance of a sledgehammer. 

 

Atem had had a feeling he would see him again sooner or later, of course. Kaiba had admittedly slipped his mind around the ceremonial duel—he had been so wrapped up in accepting his next journey and impending farewells that he’d hardly had time to think of much else—and he’d only realized, with a wave of dismay, that he had forgotten to say goodbye to his rival until he was fully settled in to his new “life”, of sorts. Getting used to a completely new (old?) way of life was bad enough, but adjusting to a life where you were in charge of thousands of people meant he barely had time to even think. 

 

It made him feel terrible, on a personal level. Kaiba had been one of his biggest challenges in life when he lived in Domino City. His rival had been arrogant, stubborn, and seemed allergic to any form of friendship, making him one of the most frustrating people Atem had ever met. Of course, he loved a good challenge, and bit by bit, he’d managed to break Kaiba’s walls down. By the time they parted ways at Battle City, he considered the pair of them friends. To leave him without saying anything—it had been one of his biggest oversights. He wished, selfishly, that he’d been able to say  _ something  _ to him before the duel. Atem could only imagine how angry Kaiba must have been when he realized that he left their rivalry unresolved. 

 

At the same time, Kaiba was one of the most intelligent, tenacious people he’d ever met. Something told Atem that he hadn’t seen the last of the CEO, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized he was foolish to worry that he’d never see him again. Kaiba always, impossibly, figured out a way. No matter what barriers may have been between them now, he could never see his rival letting him go without one hell of a fight. 

 

So, he waited. Patient. Expectant. And sure enough, the man himself had shown up one day at the foot of his throne, duel disks in hand and bleeding soul energy at an alarming rate. Atem had surprised himself with how  _ proud  _ seeing him there had made him feel. He was just as stubborn and disrespectful as he remembered. 

 

Atem had missed him. 

 

Once his body had integrated to the new dimension, the two of them settled into a new sort of routine, one Atem found far easier to adjust to than the relative peace he had lived in before. Kaiba was a thrilling presence to be around—his flair for drama matched Atem’s own, and something as simple as eating with the man could turn into a competition before he knew it. Of all the duelists he’d ever faced off against, Kaiba had always been one of the most viscerally exciting, and now that they could truly face off without any distractions, it only solidified his charisma. Atem had quickly grown to love their banter, and he loved facing off with him regardless of who won or lost. 

 

And he was more than just a worthy opponent. Despite his biting exterior, Atem had always been able to sense the good in him. Underneath all the sneering and mania, there was a lonely, frustrated individual who needed a friend more than anyone, and Atem was more than happy to be that for him. Everytime they traded barbs and he saw that  _ fire  _ in his rival’s eyes, he knew he had made the right decision. It felt familiar. It felt like  _ home.  _

 

And then Seto Kaiba shoved him against a wall and kissed the life out of him. 

 

“It all happened so fast,” he was rambling, pacing across the floor of his room. “I couldn’t even  _ say  _ anything to him Mahado, I just gaped at him like an idiot.” 

 

It was embarrassing, looking back on it now. He had been so  _ angry…  _ he couldn’t understand why Kaiba had chosen that moment to pick a fight with him. They had gotten along almost startlingly well since his rival started his new life in Aaru, and even Atem had to admit that he was quickly growing a strong affection for him. That was why he’d wanted to do something special for him—it was obvious to him that the man was more than a little homesick. There was a part of him now that was further  away, tense. Atem knew it would take him ages before he admitted he missed his own time, so he had taken it into his own hands and given him a piece of it back. 

 

He just hadn’t been expecting…  _ that  _ sort of a reaction 

 

Mahado was watching him pace with an air of vindication. “You don’t owe him any words, my pharaoh.” He sniffed, shifting where he sat on the floor at the foot of Atem’s bed. “He was completely insubordinate. He had no right to touch you.” 

 

“‘Insubordination’ isn’t the point.” Atem waved off. “He’s my  _ friend,  _ he doesn’t have to obey me.” 

 

“He’s still in  _ your  _ realm, and lives within the walls of  _ your  _ kingdom. Frankly, if I may say so, I’m appalled at his behavior.” 

 

Had he not been so distracted, Atem might have rolled his eyes. Mahado made it  _ very  _ clear how he felt about Kaiba, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if the priest had been just waiting for the moment his rival slipped up. He understood, really—even discounting Mahado’s interactions with Kaiba’s  _ previous  _ incarnation, he wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with—but it seemed unfair to him to bring down such harsh judgement upon him when he had been relatively well behaved otherwise. “This isn’t like him, Mahado. In all the times I’ve known him, he’s never done anything like this. We’ve fought, sure, but..” 

 

_ But he’s never done anything to disrespect me.  _

 

He trailed off, but he knew his friend understood him, nonetheless. Mahado looked at him for a moment, searchingly, before sighing in his usual, resigned way and leaning back in his seat. “My apologies. I’m simply giving you my honest opinion.” 

 

And his mind might have been racing with all new questions and anxieties, but Atem couldn’t help but smile at that. His priest was just looking out for him, in his own way. “I know. Thank you, Mahado.” Turning, he took in his  _ other  _ guest, who was currently hanging upside-down off of his bed and creating tiny, magic sparks with her fingers. “What do you think, Mana?”

 

The youngest of their group startled, as if snapping out of a daydream, before taking in his question with pursed lips. “Me? Hmmmm…” She turned on to her stomach, waving her feet in the air behind her. “Well, Kaiba didn’t see you for a while after you came here, right?” 

 

“Umm, yes?” 

 

“Well, maybe he just really missed you and didn’t know how else to show it!” She chimed, smiling brightly. “I didn’t get to see you for a few thousand years, and I missed you a whole  _ lot.  _ Kaiba probably feels the same way!” 

 

Atem shook his head, chuckling under his breath. Leave it to Mana to find the most optimistic view of this situation. “Thank you, Mana, but I don’t think that’s it.” 

 

“Why not?” She frowned, looking oddly affronted. “ _ Everyone  _ missed you while you were gone! What makes him any different?” 

 

“Because he mentioned my friends—my other friends—during our fight. I don’t think he likes how I conducted things before I left, but I’m not sure why. My fate alone was enough closure for them.” 

 

Mahado opened one narrow eye to peer at him, cocking an eyebrow. “When was the last time you saw him? Before he arrived here.” 

 

Ahhh, that. That Atem remembered as clear as day. It was an image that haunted him for a while after he realized he had departed the living world before he could see him again. Before he had convinced himself Kaiba would come back. “It was right after our Duel Monsters tournament, Battle City. Before I regained my memories.” 

 

Now it was Mana’s turn to look surprised. “So you didn’t tell him you were coming here or anything?” 

 

Atem glanced at her quizzically. “I didn’t know this was my destiny at the time. And once I did… I was distracted by the ceremonial duel, and Kaiba was in another country. I never got around to contacting him.” 

 

“Really?” And then to his surprise, his friend burst into giggles, like he had just shared a funny anecdote. “Wow, he must be really angry with  _ you!”  _

 

“But why?!” Atem groaned, throwing his arms out in frustration. “I knew he’d come back to me! Kaiba never turns down a challenge. We have faith in each other!” 

 

“Forgive me for saying this, your majesty, for it pains me to empathize with…  _ him.”  _ Said Mahado, and he grimaced like the idea alone was off putting to him. Atem was lost enough not to reprimand him for the over formality. “But perhaps  _ Kaiba  _ didn’t know that.” 

 

That was enough to make Atem halt his pacing. He… hadn’t thought of it that way before. When he had mourned Kaiba, it hadn’t been for the other man’s sake. It had been for himself—he regretted that their fated rivalry never gotten a real ending, that he had never gotten to say goodbye to one of the most important people in his short life. Once he reminded himself of Kaiba’s tenacity, Atem had chastised himself for his lack of faith in his rival. Kaiba would never let him leave without their duel reaching its proper conclusion, therefore Kaiba’s arrival was surely imminent, and it wouldn’t be long before Atem saw him again. There was nothing to worry about after he actually  _ did  _ show up. What was past was past. Their road of battle—their  _ friendship— _ was open and waiting for them to explore it once again. Atem thought that was enough. 

 

He never considered that the loss of him and him alone would be enough to torment his rival. That maybe, the entire time he was figuring out how to get to him, he was anguished.

 

Shifting on his feet, he looked back at his friends, hoping he didn’t appear as stiff and awkward as he suddenly felt. “You really think that’s why he’s angry? Because he… missed me?” 

 

Mahado and Mana nodded almost in unison. 

 

Atem was very quickly coming to the realization that he had taken his rival’s unparalleled determination for granted. 

 

“But that wasn’t all of it!” He flustered, resuming his pacing. He could accept Kaiba missing him—as a friend—and as uneasy as he felt that their fight was apparently partially his own fault, the thought alone was rather touching. Unfortunately, it didn’t solve his problem. “He… he  _ kissed  _ me, Mahado, right as I was walking away. That was the last thing I ever expected of him, it was like being a part of some bizarre dream. I didn’t know what to do.” 

 

“It’s because he’s rash, with all due respect.” Mahado frowned, face settling back into its disdainful expression. “He didn’t know what to do with his emotions, so he acted out like a fool. It’s disgraceful.” 

 

Atem furrowed his brow, losing himself in thought. He could still feel Kaiba’s lips on his, ferocious and insistent. “It just doesn’t make any sense… is he trying to  _ challenge  _ me?” 

 

From across the room, he could see Mana cocking her head. “Challenge you?”

 

“ _ Mmm.  _ Like he was angry and wanted to throw me off.” 

 

To his surprise, Mahado opened his mouth, then shut it in a way that was so uncharacteristic that it made Atem stop in his tracks again. Mahado didn’t  _ gape.  _ “What do you mean, my king?”

 

Atem shrugged. Really, what was all the confusion about? It seemed simple enough to him now that he thought about it. “Why else would Kaiba kiss me?” 

 

His priest was looking at him like he had just suggested demolishing the palace and putting in a series of mud huts as a replacement. Mana glanced between the two of them, seemed to realize what was happening, and started giggling again. Like he had said something funny. Like he was being kept out of a  _ secret.  _ It made him feel self conscious and irritated. His friends weren’t supposed to keep secrets from him!

 

Finally, before Atem could chew them out, Mahado seemed to come to terms with whatever internal war he was having before speaking again, and and this time, what he said rocked Atem’s world. 

 

“He has feelings for you.” 

 

For a moment, Atem’s mind went blank. It was as if all of his vital signs ground to a stop, careening him off balance, and there was nothing else in the world but those five words ringing in his ears. It was so absurd, there was no way it could have come out of his friend’s mouth. When he could speak again, he was horrified to hear his own voice come out as a near croak. “ _ What?”  _

 

Mahado, for the first time since he could remember, looked cagey and uncomfortable, eyes darting around the room like he didn’t have it in him to keep them steady. “It’s… it’s been obvious to me that he’s had feelings for you since the day of his arrival. I assumed you probably knew, but I didn’t want to interfere.” 

 

_ Kaiba?  _ Having  _ feelings  _ for him? Atem was struck dumb by just the thought of it. Kaiba didn’t have feelings like that. In the entire time he had known the man, he’d never seen or even heard the  _ suggestion  _ that Kaiba was interested in dating, or anything else of the sort—and he knew this for a fact, because with Kaiba’s status, the Domino City newspapers would have been stumbling over themselves to report it if his rival had some sort of secret lover. He was too obsessive, too much of a workaholic, Atem guessed. Too much like… well, him. Atem always assumed that he lived and breathed games and challenge, like he did. Nothing he’d observed since Kaiba’s arrival told him anything about him had changed. To suggest otherwise was almost  _ laughable.  _

 

There was no way. There was just  _ no  _ way. 

 

“Prince, are you alright?” 

 

Atem jolted, mortified when he realized he had been staring gaping into space for the past minute now. “F-fine… I’m fine.” Blinking, he shook his head, desperately trying to ignore the heat he felt rising in his cheeks. “No, no that can’t be, Mahado, you have to be mistaken. Kaiba is… he doesn’t  _ do  _ things like that. His heart belongs to his brother and his games. I’ve seen it in his eyes, as a fellow duelist.” 

 

Mahado looked mildly surprised at that, although his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Really? Because he’s been pursuing you with a passion I‘ve never seen before.” 

 

“Of course he’s passionate.” Atem insisted, drawing up a little higher. Perhaps Mahado was just misinterpreting their relationship? “He’s my  _ rival.  _ I motivate him to fight and to better himself just like he does for me. To fight without passion is to not fight at all. We swore ourselves to a long road of battle!”

 

A passion fueled rivalry. That was all it was. Mahado just didn’t understand. 

 

“Then how come he never takes his eyes off you? Why does he clamour so much for your attention, even outside of your battles?” His priest asked him, measured, coolly. “Have you ever asked him if he’s felt that way?”

 

“N-No…” Atem stammered, and he winced at how  _ uncertain  _ he sounded. He was a king. He wasn’t allowed to be uncertain. “But why would I? Our romantic preferences never had any bearing on our duels,  _ or  _ our friendship. If he had an… interest, I would have sensed it by now.” 

 

The look on Mahado’s face was gentle, yet almost pitying at the same time. Atem didn’t like it at all. He sighed, like he was calling upon the gods to give him strength, before he spoke up again. “No one willingly gives up their own life for a simple fight.” 

 

“Kaiba’s not just anyone.” 

 

“Then why did he kiss you?”

 

And Atem wanted to rebuke that, wanted to tell his friend that this was all just part of some new game and it was up to him to complete the puzzle, but no words were coming. There was a persistent, gnawing feeling in the back of his consciousness that had been lingering there since that kiss, maybe even  _ before  _ then, that he had been ignoring all this time. Atem had been suitably busy, after all—between his duties as a pharaoh and his desire to help his rival feel more at home, there were plenty of valid excuses—but he could now sense it fighting its way out to the forefront. It slithered from the dark corner of his mind, through his bones, and settling deep down in his gut. 

 

Atem was quickly losing ground to it. His attacks became more uncertain, his defenses more feeble. It was like battling an abyss, unending and unstoppable. There was no card he could draw to counter it, no tricks up his sleeve to throw the enemy off their game. Before he knew it, it was consuming him, forcing him to stare into and acknowledge it for what it was, and all he could do was surrender to it, to concede defeat in the way he had long since figured out how to do. 

 

Because now he was remembering heated looks shared across the battlefield. Barely hidden smiles. Deep blue eyes sneaking glances at him when he thought he wasn’t looking. Skin pressed against skin in the Nile. Thinly veiled comments and taunts he had always thought were part of their much loved banter. The way his rival held himself so stiffly around him, yet eagerly sought out his touch when his guard was down. 

 

Lips sliding so longingly on top of his in the hallway. 

 

“ _ Oh  _ **_gods_ ** _.”  _

 

Atem had miscalculated.

 

He didn’t even realize his legs had given out until he found himself sitting on the ground and heard his friend’s worried voices calling out to him. This couldn’t be real. Was this real? Was this all a part of some terrifying dream, born out of the newfound closeness he shared with Kaiba? The stone under his feet felt so real. Plus, never in even his wildest dreams could he have imagined Kaiba kissing him. 

 

“Pharaoh! Are you ill?!” 

 

“Prince!”

 

_ “Why  _ though?” Atem gasped out, feeling his friend’s arms encircle his shoulders as he sat cross-legged. On a normal day, he’d feel somewhat embarrassed at appearing so vulnerable, but the shock of his realization was too great. “Why would he do that?” 

 

He heard Mahado scoff beside him, and could practically feel the irritation coming off of him in waves after Kaiba had caused such a dramatic reaction. “Like I’ve said, he’s arrogant and foolish.” He said, carefully helping Atem to his feet. “He thinks he’s too good for self control, so he—“

 

“No, no…” Atem interrupted, shaking his head. There was a time when his priest wouldn’t exactly have been  _ wrong,  _ but Kaiba had made great strides since their earlier days. It was too easy of an answer for what was happening now. Steeling himself, he looked his friends in the eye and asked, seriously, “I meant why  _ me?” _

 

A beat of silence.  His friends, once again, were looking at him like he just shouted blasphemy, before turning and sharing a befuddled glance. Atem didn’t understand what the big deal was—it was a perfectly valid question. Finally, Mana turned back to him, blinking. “That’s it? That’s what you’re worried about?” 

 

“Of course.” 

 

“Prince, you can’t mean that!”

 

“I can though!” Atem argued, clutching an impassioned fist to his chest. “I can understand someone wanting me as a leader, or a strategist. I’m  _ good  _ at games, and there’s little I fear in battle. Even as a friend—I get that now. It took a long time, but I get it.” Yugi had taught him well, after all. “But someone wanting me like… like  _ that…”  _ He swallowed, realizing with a rush of shame that his face was practically on fire. “Why in the gods’ names would they want  _ me?”  _

 

Especially  _ Kaiba,  _ of all people. Kaiba, who wore suits in even the most casual situations. Kaiba, who never had a hair out of place. Kaiba, who would sooner rip off his own limb than admit he needed anybody. It was enough to leave Atem  _ reeling.  _

 

“My pharaoh…” Mahado said quietly, appearing tentative before he went ahead with his question. “I don’t want to overstep my boundaries but… you  _ do  _ realize you’re desirable, don’t you?”

 

“...I realize my status is desirable. My power.” Atem shifted uncomfortably, hoping to sidestep this particular conversation. “Pharaohs are desired by everyone for that.” 

 

“But if everything you’ve told me is true, Kaiba already has all the power he desires in his own time, does he not? You’ve said he’s practically a king in his own right.”

 

Oh no. Atem had said that, hadn’t he? He was beginning to regret briefing everyone on Kaiba, because his personal excuses were getting taken out one by one. “...He is.” Atem finally admitted, swallowing audibly. His heart was starting to thud at an alarming rate, and he’d be surprised if it wasn’t obvious to everyone. “He’s the leader of a great company, and he doesn’t care about my crown. There’s nothing for him here but me and our games, and he’s already bested me at the latter. Which means…”

 

“Kaiba just likes  _ you  _ then!” Mana grinned, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. On any other day, it would have been endearing, but right now her certainty only solidified the terrifying electricity in his gut. 

 

“Yes. There’s nothing… I can’t think of any other solution.” 

 

Atem was hitting a wall. Unless Kaiba had something else up his sleeve, his game was done for. 

 

_ Gods.  _ Kaiba  _ wanted  _ him. The very thought of it made him want to sink into the ground in shock and embarrassment. He had practically  _ fondled  _ the man when they were in that river!

 

Was all of this his fault, somehow? Had Atem unintentionally been seducing him this whole time?

 

“As much as it pains me to admit it about him of all people, Mana is right.” Mahado said, just as steady and sure as his apprentice had been. “You’re very handsome, your majesty—it’s only natural that others would want you. Kaiba is but a man, after all.” 

 

Somehow, that did nothing to ease Atem’s nerves. He buried his face in his hands, hoping fruitlessly that he could hide the redness that had settled there. “What am I going to do?” He groaned, a thousand different scenarios already running through his head. Atem had never had to deal with… matters of the heart before. “What  _ should  _ I do?” 

 

“Reject him, if he’s upsetting you.” Mahado huffed, folding his arms crossly. “What he does with that is his problem. You don’t owe him anything.” 

 

A beat, and then suddenly the hands over his face were gently being pulled away. He allowed it, and then Mana was looking at him so closely and so intensely he nearly jumped back on instinct. “Hmmm… he doesn’t really  _ look  _ upset.” She mused, ignoring her teacher’s scoldings. “How do  _ you  _ feel about it, prince?” 

 

Atem felt his brain hit another roadblock, all traces of embarrassment gone. His friend could be a little silly sometimes, but rarely did she cause his mind to go blank like this. “Me?” 

 

“Yes, of course you! Was it a good kiss? Did you like it?” 

 

“ _ Mana,  _ stop upsetting him.”

 

“I was just wondering!”

 

Their bickering gradually faded into the background as Atem took in her question, distantly aware that he had been stunned into silence once again. Did he like it? Well, he certainly hadn’t liked their argument beforehand, and he didn’t really like being shoved around either. But the kiss itself—everything it symbolized—he was still getting used to the fact that it had happened at all to even consider how it made him feel. Shocked. Off balance. 

 

Warm. 

 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed Kaiba was handsome. 

 

Okay, so he hadn’t  _ noticed,  _ perse. How attractive someone was hardly a blip on his radar when meeting someone for the first time. It seemed so unimportant compared to the strength of their demeanor, their character, and even before his death, he had been occupied with far more important things than sex and romance. He knew how it all worked, obviously, and that as a pharaoh, he would one day be expected to marry and carry on his family line—but it had been an uncomfortable knowledge, one he avoided thinking about.  _ Games  _ were far more interesting than people, and if he could go his entire life learning everything there was to know about those, he would have been happy. Unfortunately, duty always outweighed personal desires, and he knew when the time came to choose a suitor, he could only hope that they would like games too. 

 

Death took care of all those worries. 

 

And it went without saying that as an incorporeal being without any memories, his interest in the matter hadn’t exactly been heightened. He’d had duels to fight, friendships to form. People to protect. It would have been foolish to pursue anyone even if he  _ did  _ have an active interest in someone, like Yugi did, considering the two of them shared a body. In that sense, he had been happy to encourage his partner from a very safe distance and take pride in his personal accomplishments while keeping his own issues well enough away. Romance—dating—was  _ Yugi’s  _ field as far as he was concerned, despite his partner’s claims to the contrary. 

 

Now, he was back in his own body, free of his personal burdens, his rival had kissed him passionately not twenty-four hours ago, and he didn’t know what to do. Atem knew Kaiba was attractive—upon seeing him again, he couldn’t help but notice how much he had changed since their last meeting. Kaiba had always been objectively good looking, but this time he was positively  _ distinguished _ , more grown up, and his too-tight shirts did little to hide how well muscled he was now. His drive, his passion, his own love of games, all of what had made the pair of them such perfect rivals remained the same, but there was a subtlety to him that Atem hadn’t been able to put his finger on at first. As time went on, he came to realize that the change he saw was   _ willingness— _ a willingness to explore, a willingness to try new things. Willingness to trust. He was still the same cynical, overly stubborn Kaiba, but watching him awkwardly bulldoze his way into Atem’s life had been amusing and endearing. 

 

No one else quite saw him like he did, but that was fine. If Kaiba had decided he was the only one allowed to see the warmth and fire in those blue eyes, then Atem wasn’t objecting. 

 

And when he’d kissed him… it hadn’t been bad. Atem hadn’t been overcome by anger or disgust when he thought about it now. If anything, there was the tiniest part of him that almost wanted to try it  _ again.  _ Just to see what would happen when he was ready for it. Just to see what it was like. 

 

Feeling far away, he was distantly aware of himself saying, “I didn’t…  _ dislike  _ it.” 

 

Mahado’s eyes went almost comically wide at his statement, mouth falling open slightly. His apprentice, on the other hand, was smiling like the cat that got the cream. “I thought so. You’ve been rubbing at your lips this entire time.” 

 

Startling, Atem discovered he was, indeed, stroking his fingers over his bottom lip and yanked them away like he had been burned.  _ Damn it.  _

 

“But that shouldn’t matter!” He growled, shaking himself out of his stupor. “Who cares if I liked it or not? I was kept away from my job—my  _ people— _ for three thousand years. I can’t just ignore them and get wrapped up in personal pleasures. They need me!”

 

“But if you like him, you should tell him!”

 

“I can’t let them down anymore, Mana. I made a promise.” 

 

“If I may interject,” Mahado suddenly spoke, apparently recovering from his bewilderment. “You pursuing fulfillment outside of your title wouldn’t be letting anyone down. Have you forgotten this world is supposed to be your reward for a life well lived?”

 

“No, but…” Atem deflated, unable to look his friends in the eye. “What if I don’t feel like I lived my life well? I died only days into my rule. I was sealed away in a puzzle for thousands of years, and lived without my memories of you all—of all of  _ this  _ for years after. I did things I can’t take back. And now Kaiba is agonizing over me as well. Why shouldn’t I atone for that?”

 

“Then you would be insulting the gods, and the paradise they’ve helped craft for you.” Mahado sighed, shaking his head with the tiniest of smiles. “My pharaoh… while I’m sure we’re all honored that you’re thinking of us, no one wants you to find happiness more than your kingdom. If your life and your sacrifice is unworthy of this place, then may we all be cast out.” 

 

A hard lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed it down, jaw clenching. Leave it to Mahado to cut to the core of things and make him feel like a fool for worrying in the first place. “Are you saying you approve?” He couldn’t help but ask, smiling ruefully through his emotion.

 

“‘Approve’ is a… strong word.” His friend grimaced, and Atem almost laughed at his distaste. Kaiba sure had a way with people. “But I trust your judgement. All I want is for you to be happy.” 

 

“Same goes for me!” Mana cheered, engulfing him in a hug that almost lifted him clean off the ground and left him flailing. “What are you going to do? When are you going to talk to him? You should go right now!”

 

The thought of approaching Kaiba right here and now made Atem go almost completely limp with nerves, and his knees nearly gave out once his feet met the ground again. He didn’t even know where to begin with his rival, and he still wasn’t even sure of his own feelings yet. “Not  _ now.”  _ He said. “...Sometime. I don’t want to be rash.” 

 

“If you need someone to lend an ear, we’re here to listen.” Mahado assured him. “Just don’t torment yourself about it. Kaiba can be patient.” 

 

“I know, I know, just… just give me some time to  _ think.”  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! SO. Three things to note. 
> 
> 1\. This chapter was originally going to be the first part of the NEXT chapter, but it wound up being too long, and I felt like it flowed better to just have it be its own thing. Chapter 6 is already in the works, and will switch back to Kaiba's POV, so I hope this is enough to suffice for now! Sit tight for more *~drama~*.
> 
> 2\. Guys, I have been COMPLETELY blown away by your support. When I first started writing this, I could have never imagined it would get the kind of feedback it has. Thank you for all of your amazing comments, they motivate me to keep going!
> 
> 3\. [@potatsalad](https://twitter.com/potatsalad) on twitter made this absolutely GORGEOUS art of the cave scene from chapter 3. It made me tear up from how perfect it was and I can't stop staring at it. You should stare at it too. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Direct link in case the image doesn't work](https://uc772127564003597ce106a4c9ce.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AAdzRcNcunFCITKu03bpF25RWg0wGZyNbSR6vSLGfU10Ca2WacsY1x6EHO62vqu4c1U1bULJiUwB3Wt2uBq3vpGurbiIv14e9mILXQJtHjqU-ZNMkw5r7sRqu1AW6KuUfrhFUXmlq5Z1dqjndF-oJ1SEuDH7O2BVBLJWqNAh8-ToV-YbJQsix7hG0qCqBM6w_I33RhD1WiPmdwS7xIJ6-39ZMIhbsE7SXOhdKK_CQ2HB2wZ2PrWVZYX82v2FBLAim7EhRY9xsFdQMpNVqgsz4x-c1AkjsC33Pk0X5H-_cjbUJKXlJ9TqrPiFxMjB4D2-k85y-555qnMV9-ynwqPzInUwIFEn2t4w5_nLIi5GMYeqd-q29CPbLYke00KUSO8dCaptInYuqF8tst9n4Mj4XQH_/p.png?fv_content=true&size_mode=5)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Top 10 life choices you probably regret. NUMBER ONE:

Kaiba wanted to jettison himself out of an airlock. 

 

No, scratch that. He wanted to find the tallest building in this blasted dimension, blow it up, and _then_ jettison himself out an airlock. 

 

_“_ Why did I **_do_ ** that?!"

 

He was violently pacing his room now, having sequestered himself after his disastrous confrontation with Atem. The world around him could have fallen to pieces, and he probably wouldn’t even know it. The way he was feeling now, he honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if it was. 

  

Fuck. 

 

_Fuck._

 

It was all over now. 

 

Seto hadn’t been _thinking._ Everything within him had been so tightly guarded, every emotion locked up behind nearly impenetrable walls, and he’d thought he’d had a handle on it all. It had been hard once he had realized the depth of his feelings for his rival, almost _unbearably_ so, but he had always, always been in control. Seto Kaiba didn’t let his feelings run away with him. Seto Kaiba wasn’t an irrational fool who acted on his basest instincts, ruining everything he had worked so hard for.

 

Seto Kaiba didn’t grab one of the only people who mattered to him in this goddamn universe and kiss him like he was starving for it. 

 

And yet, he _had._ And it had been _glorious._

 

“Stupid, _stupid_. **_Idiot_  **!"He muttered, boots scuffing the floor as he stalked through his room with the aggression of a cornered animal. This was it. There was no going back from what he had done. Kaiba couldn’t laugh it off, like it had all been a part of some new game and Atem fell for it—his rival was too clever for that, and it was an awful excuse anyway. He also couldn’t pretend it had never happened, as much as he might want to. Going back on the things you’d done was cowardly, and he didn’t need Atem losing anymore respect for him than he was sure he already had. Kaiba’s feelings were all out there now and he had to own them. Atem _knew._

 

God, Atem, Kaiba couldn’t stop thinking of his face. The shock in his eyes. The anger. The disgust. 

 

_Rejection._

 

Kaiba practically tore his hands through his hair. 

 

The worst part of it was he knew the pharaoh wouldn’t outright reject him. Atem would never yell at him, or tell him not to see him again, or banish him from his realm. Diplomacy was a part of his job description, after all, and even without all of that his rival was simply too _nice_ to do any of those things. No, he would let him down gently, trying to hide his pity and shame, and the very thought of it made Seto want to vomit. He could almost hear his voice saying it all in his head— _thanks, but no thanks, Kaiba, as a god I am above such basic human desires. I appreciate the interest Kaiba, but I live for games and I always thought you were the same. Kaiba, I understand your feelings, but my heart will always belong to Jounouchi._

 

Disappointed. Pitying. And he would try to carry on their routine as normal, but nothing between them would ever be the same. No more comfortable banter. No more stimulating games. Their rivalry and friendship would dissolve, and both would have to move on with their lives, knowing that nothing between them could truly be equal. Maybe nothing they shared ever really was.

 

“ ** _Fuck_**!” 

 

The pain that reverberated through his arm when he smashed his fist against the wall was _welcome_ compared to that. 

 

Hours must have passed between their fateful encounter in the hallway and Kaiba retreating to his room—the world outside his balcony had gone dark, save for the distant, amber glow of candlelight from the houses. He was exhausted now, slumping against the stone work desk Atem had placed in his room. It felt like _everything_ here reminded him of the pharaoh in some way, and he growled, trying to banish all thoughts of jewel-toned eyes and impossibly soft lips from his mind. It was a futile effort without some sort of distraction. 

 

Distraction. Of course— _that_ was what he needed. As long as he was pouring himself into work, he could accomplish even the most impossible of tasks. 

 

Ignoring his now bloodied hand, he wrenched open one of the desk’s drawers, pulling out the Quantum Cube from among his other possessions and placing it down. He hadn’t really given the thing much thought since he used it to power with his ship all those months ago. It failed to be any use to him after it worked the first time around, so he never bothered to see if he could activate it again. If all had gone according to Kaiba’s plan, it would have never needed to be. 

 

_Fuck it_ , he thought with a grunt, tearing open another drawer to grab some of his tools. Maybe he could use it to throw himself in a volcano once he and Atem couldn’t stand each other anymore. 

 

Then, something caught the corner of his eye. A flash of color, and he was so unused to artificial light at this point that it almost startled him. Of course—his phone. He had tossed it down carelessly when he entered his room. Whatever magic Atem and Mahado had done to it meant it could receive notifications now. Kaiba watched it, hardly daring to move. 

 

He should call him. 

 

No. No, he shouldn’t. He didn’t even know what to say. 

 

He was going to call him.

 

Unlocking the phone, he swiped past hundreds of missed calls and notifications. They were unimportant. There was only one person on his contact list he wanted to talk to now. 

 

Mokuba, surprisingly, nearly let the call default to voicemail before he answered. 

 

“ _Ni...Nii-sama…?”_

 

And despite all his exhaustion and anger, Kaiba couldn’t help a soft, guilt-ridden smile when Mokuba’s face filled his screen. His little brother looked roughly the same as when he left him—maybe his hair was a little more wild, face a little more haggard. Seto couldn’t help but note with an uncomfortable twist in his stomach that his eyes had dark circles that were never there before. He looked like he had been getting ready for bed when he got the call, and Kaiba couldn’t help but wonder how well he had been sleeping. 

 

Mokuba’s expression underwent rapid transformation as he took him in—shock, anger, disbelief. Sadness. As if Kaiba didn’t feel guilty enough already, he watched as his brother’s face twisted into something vulnerable, and it was clear he was fighting back tears. The frame surrounding his face trembled almost imperceptibly. “ _N-Nii-sama…_ Seto, is that really you?” 

 

Kaiba winced, suddenly feeling like the worst brother in the world. “Hello, Mokuba.” 

 

All at once, his brother burst into tears, leaving Seto only able to watch helplessly from dimensions away. He had never been good with _crying_ people—or people in general, really—and it was somehow worse when he was the direct cause of it. “ _Nii-sama!_ Oh my _god, nii-sama,”_ Mokuba sniffled, looking younger than he had in years. “you were… it’s been _months,_ I thought you were—you were—“

 

“I know, I know.” Kaiba said lowly, trying to sound as soothing as he was physically capable of being. “Mokuba… I apologize, I shouldn’t have—“

 

“You _better_ be sorry!” His brother shouted, wiping angrily at his face. “I tried to find you for _weeks,_ Seto, just to get any indication that you were still alive, but it didn’t work— _none_ of it worked without the cube, and I thought maybe the trip failed and I’d never see you again, and I… we didn’t even get to say _goodbye…”_

 

Shit. The irony of this situation was not lost on Kaiba. 

 

Swallowing, he bowed his head, clutching his phone in his hands. He had been a hypocrite—a _gigantic_ hypocrite, and now his brother felt abandoned and betrayed, and he wasn’t sure he could ever take that back. Never in his life had he felt as close to a failure as he did today. “I know. You’re right, I shouldn’t have… it was a mistake to leave you like that, Mokuba.” He admitted, ashamed he was having a hard time looking him in the eye. “I came here, and things got busy, and I… I understand if you don’t wish to speak with me anymore.” 

 

Another sniffle. “What are you _talking_ about?” 

 

“I fai—I made you angry, so if you don’t want to talk to me again…”

 

“Yeah, no _kidding_ I’m angry, you left me behind without a word!” His brother hiccuped, eyes red and puffy. “But that doesn’t mean I never want to see you again! All this time I thought you were _dead,_ and knowing you were out there all along… it makes me mad, but it makes me really, really happy too. I just wanted to know if you were okay.” 

 

Kaiba nearly sagged with relief when he realized their relationship hadn’t been ruined forever. At least there was one bond in this world he hadn’t completely destroyed. “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry. I… I wondered about you too.” 

 

His brother’s sniffles were subsiding now, albeit slowly. Finally, Mokuba straightened himself and looked him dead in the eyes, face radiating seriousness. “Just don’t _ever_ do anything like that to me again, okay? I won’t forgive you so easily next time.” 

 

There was the younger brother he knew so well. Even with the ire being aimed directly at him, Kaiba couldn’t help the flare of pride that welled up within him at Mokuba putting his foot down. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He said, grinning a little despite it all. “Thank you, Mokuba.” 

 

“Yeah, you _better_ thank me.” He sniffed, mirroring his expression and wiping one cheek with the sleeve of his pajamas. 

 

Once their initial reunion had passed, Kaiba quickly realized he didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t exactly called Mokuba with the intention of pouring out his feelings to him—in fact, if it were up to him, he wouldn’t have to tell him anything about what had transpired between him and a certain pharaoh. Everything was still so raw, so fresh, and it was mildly humiliating to go venting at his younger brother. Silence descended upon them, save for his Mokuba’s quiet _geez, get it together Mokuba,_ as he composed himself. What had he called him for, other than to let him know he was still alive?

 

“So,” the younger of the two spoke, yanking him out of his thoughts. “Where are you, exactly? Did you make it to Egypt?” 

 

Ahhh. Now that he didn’t mind answering. Unable to resist showing off a little, Kaiba lifted the phone to rotate it around the room. “See for yourself.” 

 

His room had become an odd marriage of modern and ancient features since he’d settled in, with the amenities he’d brought over from home clashing with the rest of the room’s ancient features. He heard Mokuba making noises of astonishment as he took in the stone walls, the ornate columns of his bed, and the soft, amber glow of the candles illuminating the almost golden space around him. Truly lodgings fit for a king. It had quickly become old hat for him, but he was sure his brother was interested in seeing it. 

 

Sure enough, Mokuba was wide eyed when he brought the phone back on himself, like he almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “ _Nii-sama,_ that’s _amazing!”_ He gasped, before a cheeky grin made its way over his features. “As expected of my big brother. You know, there are historians who would give their left leg to see this!” 

 

“Hmph!” Kaiba snorted, smiling haughtily. “They’d be foolish to do so. It’s nothing that special. I would give anything for a working espresso machine.” 

 

It was, of course, beautiful in its own way. But there was no way Kaiba was going to admit that, especially when he was quickly coming to the painful realization that sometimes, it was the company you kept that made a place appealing. 

 

“Still…” Mokuba mused, scratching thoughtfully at his chin. “If there was some way we could replicate what you did and market it to researchers…”

 

“Absolutely not. The last thing I need right now is a bunch of annoying archaeologists sticking their nose into my business. Besides, I’m not sure how possible it is without the cube as of right now.” 

 

“Ha, you’re right.” His brother chuckled, shaking his head. Kaiba was proud to see him settling into his role as a businessman, really, but he couldn’t imagine a more insufferable crowd to have to deal with, and he was sure he would piss off the locals more than he already had. “Sorry. I guess being a CEO now means I get a little ahead of myself sometimes.”

 

“No, you’re already coming up with new ideas and working out how to market them. I’m proud of you, Mokuba.” He said, sincerely, and the violent storm that was his thoughts quieted at the brilliant smile his brother gave him. God, Seto really had missed him. Something about Mokuba’s presence always soothed him at least a little, and he nearly forgot how much he cherished that. Before he could start asking him more questions he didn’t want to answer, Seto spoke up again, leaning forward against his desk and resting his chin in his arms. “How has everything been going over there?” 

 

“Oh, uh, pretty good, actually! We’ve been making some great strides in the virtual reality system—“

 

With Mokuba chattering on, Kaiba finally allowed his mind to wander a little once again, eyelids hanging low and heavy. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in what his brother had to say—on the contrary, he was curious to see how the company had been faring in his absence—but letting his voice wash over him was such an achingly familiar experience that he couldn’t help but let his defenses down. Atem would have probably been thrilled to hear he contacted his brother. This had been his gift to him, after all. The very thought of it made him clench his free hand, and he wondered, painfully, what his rival was doing now. If he was off somewhere, seething, pitying him. If he was maybe regretting giving him this gift in the first place. Seto nearly tasted bile in the back of his throat. 

 

Gritting his teeth against it, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to will himself to disappear. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt a pain so physical over someone else, save for when he thought he had lost his brother at Duelist Kingdom all those years ago. If only he still had a tower to throw himself off of. 

 

“—but enough about me! How about you?” Mokuba was saying, and the sudden focus back on him made Kaiba jerk himself upward. “Have you and Atem been dueling a lot? How is he doing?” 

 

_Shit._ There was the question he had been dreading would come. Logically, he knew it only made sense for Mokuba to ask about Atem, seeing as the pharaoh was the only reason he’d ever left in the first place, but he had been hoping there was a way he could weasel out of it. He nearly considered pretending something went wrong with his phone and hanging up, before sense told him that there was a decent chance Mokuba would never forgive him after how much he’d already put him through. 

 

“...He’s fine.” Seto finally replied after some intense deliberation, silenting willing Mokuba to take the hint. 

 

Predictably, he didn’t. “Just fine?” 

 

“Mmm.”

 

“You’re not gonna tell me whether or not you won your duel? Or about any of the adventures you guys have had?” 

 

“I told you he’s fine.” 

 

His brother looked taken aback by his curtness, eyes big and wide—as if he didn’t feel enough like a failure of a brother already. He was opening his mouth to reassure him when Mokuba spoke again, as quiet as if he was talking to a timid animal. “... _Nii-sama,_ what’s wrong?”

 

Everything. Everything was wrong. Something within Kaiba wanted to open up, to tell him, but all that came out was, “Nothing. No need to worry.” 

 

Really, the last thing he ever wanted was for Mokuba to be saddled with his burdens. He had worked his entire life to make sure that the world his brother inhabited kept him safe and healthy, and that had meant years of scheming and hard work once he acquired KaibaCorp. It had been worth it, but now, even dimensions apart, he still felt that responsibility, even if it meant keeping Mokuba in the dark. Unfortunately, he was getting older and wiser now. Kaiba knew it was only a matter of time before it would be impossible for them to keep secrets from each other.

 

That day, it seemed, had come. He watched his brother internally wrestle with something before his face set with determination and he looked him in the eye, suddenly looking far beyond his years. “I know you’re lying.” 

 

And just like that, Kaiba had been caught. He didn’t have it in him to continue to lie to Mokuba’s face after his bluff had been called. The words were coming out before he could do anything to stop them, like a flood, and he almost hated himself more for saying them.

 

 “It’s all ruined. I ruined everything, Mokuba.”

 

The ensuing silence hung densely in the air between them. Dimensions away, Seto could see Mokuba’s eyes go large, as if Kaiba spilling anything was the last thing he ever expected him to do. In all fairness, a little over a day ago, Kaiba would have thought the same. His brother continued to look out at him, face unreadable, before heaving out a sigh, and appearing to move within the frame. His point of view spun, and after some confusion, Kaiba noted it looked like he had flopped down in bed. The side of his face was smushed up against some pillows, and he blinked sleepily into the camera. “Did you guys have a fight?” 

 

Seto cringed. He wasn’t technically wrong, but it sounded so banal put like that. Nothing like the earth shattering tragedy he felt when he looked into Atem’s eyes and saw the shock written in them as plainly as words on a scroll. Nothing like the ache that swelled in his chest everytime he imagined him crafting up some noble speech designed to let him down easily, all the while secretly regretting their friendship in the first place. “You could say that.” 

 

“What happened? I’m all ears.” Mokuba offered, easily. Like having to soothe his big brother wasn’t the most embarrassing conversation they’d ever had. 

 

“Let’s just say I did something I can’t take back.” Kaiba was definitely being cagey now, but telling his younger sibling about how he just locked lips with the guy he once chased all over Domino City was _not_ something he thought he’d ever be mentally prepared enough to do. 

 

“Ouch. That bad, huh?” His brother winced, moving so more of his face was in frame. He looked as sympathetic as could be expected, considering he didn’t know exactly what had transpired. “I’m really sorry, _nii-sama._ That must be tough.” 

 

Tough was _one_ word to describe it. Kaiba didn’t have the heart to tell him how much he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole, or for the disintegration process that had tormented him all those weeks ago to make its triumphant return. “You have no idea.” He choked, burying his free hand in his hair and tugging. “ _God._ I can’t believe I did that. I had everything I could ever want, Mokuba, and I just let it slip through my fingers.”

 

“Seto, you’re bleeding!”

 

_Shit._ He had forgotten all about his injured hand. Cursing, he hid it under the desk, trying to avoid Mokuba’s horrified stare. “It’s nothing. I simply… lost control.” 

 

The younger of the two wasn’t buying his downplaying one bit, eyebrows tilting upward in concern. “But you’re hurt! You… _Atem_ didn’t do that, did he?” 

 

“Of _course_ not.” Kaiba almost surprised himself by how affronted he felt on the pharaoh’s behalf. “He would never hurt me.” 

 

“So you did that…?” It was phrased more like a realization than a question, like the seriousness of the situation was finally sinking in for him. He shook himself out of it, pressing on. “Have you tried talking to Atem, then? I’m sure he wouldn’t like it if he knew you were hurt.” 

 

Atem would _not_ like it, Seto knew that for a fact. He could already hear his rival fretting over him, demanding he never do anything like that ever again, and it made his heart twinge. Too bad he didn’t have a goddamn _clue_ when he was the cause of it. “ _No._ He doesn’t want to talk to me, Mokuba, I’m sure of it. It’s over now.” 

 

“Did he _say_ it was over?” 

 

He paused. “Not exactly,” Seto admitted, ducking his head. “But I could see it in his eyes—feel it, even. He’s disgusted with me. I felt it through our duelist’s connection.” 

 

Mokuba considered him, clearly at a loss for words. Kaiba didn’t expect him to understand their bond—there was a chance he and Atem were the only two people in the world who understood it, and that had been just fine by him. When Mokuba spoke next, it was clear he was treading carefully. “Well, was your fight about a duel?” 

 

“It wasn’t. Dueling would have been _much_ preferable.” 

 

“Then how do you know how he feels?!”

 

“I just know these things, Mokuba.” Kaiba insisted, rubbing his temples. He loved his brother, but he rapidly felt his patience for this topic waning. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” 

 

“Okay then,” Mokuba huffed, and if Seto didn’t know any better he’d think Mokuba was barely resisting rolling his eyes. “But how has everything been before now? You must have been doing something if you didn’t think to contact me.” 

 

Before now… Kaiba swallowed. Everything before _now_ had been… well, it had been everything he’d hoped it would be. Sure, there had been that painful adjustment period, and he maintained the past was ungodly boring, but everything else had been worth the trip. Atem was a thrilling presence to be around, whether they were dueling or not, and Seto had even enjoyed their stupid sightseeing tours. If he had been hopelessly drawn to the pharaoh before, it only became worse after actually spending time with him. 

 

Atem was… he hated to use the word, but Atem was _special._

 

“Everything up until now has been… wonderful.” He said, simply, and cringed at his own choice of words. “Atem has been a worthy opponent. I’ve never regretted coming here.” 

 

Saying it out loud, to another person, felt surreal, but it was true. Not for a second since his arrival had he longed for his old life. 

 

Mokuba was yawning now, settling deeper into his pillow. “If you’ve been getting along, then I’ll bet he’s as upset as you are that you’re not talking to him.” 

 

Kaiba remained silent. 

 

“Look _nii-sama,_ I know I don’t know Yu—sorry, Atem—as well as you do, but I do know he’s a good person. Even if you did something really bad, I can’t imagine it would be enough to change his opinion of you forever—he’s seen us through some really bad times. Besides, Yugi told me he _never_ backs down from a challenge.” He grinned a little, and Kaiba was left to wonder when exactly he’d had time to speak to Yugi. “You guys should try talking to each other. Maybe think of it as some new game you get to play?” 

 

That… wasn’t the worst idea Kaiba had ever heard. Okay, talking to Atem seemed like the worst thing conceived by man at the moment, but approaching it as a game made the idea seem slightly less intimidating. Games were something Kaiba understood. The only problem with this one was that he wasn’t sure how he would take losing this time. 

 

“I’m not talking to him. I’m not even sure I _can._ There’s a good chance he may never want to speak with me again.” 

 

The covers around Mokuba shifted, indicating a shrug. “You’ll never know unless you try. Which do you prefer? Avoiding him and never knowing, or just getting it over with?”

 

Both. Neither. Preferably, there would be a third option for him to build a time machine and stop their argument from ever happening in the first place. Deep down though, Kaiba knew that it was only a matter of time before he’d have to face the pharaoh again—Atem was too determined to let him off the hook for long. It made his stomach surge with anxiety to admit it, but Kaiba was upset, not _delusional._

 

Maybe it wouldn’t be unwise to consider what he might do when the time came. Just a little.

 

“...If we face each other again, I will… consider your advice.” He finally replied, slowly. “But no promises.” 

 

“That’s all I can ask for. Just _think_ about it, okay?” Mokuba chuckled around a yawn. “I’d really like to keep talking, Seto, but I should probably try to sleep now—I have a meeting in the morning.” 

 

Ahhh. Of course. It was easy to forget sometimes that Mokuba had to attend those now. As nice as it was to hear his brother’s voice again, Seto knew it would be selfish to keep him awake. “I’ll hang up then. Sleep well.”

 

“You too, _nii-sama._ Just… please, _please_ keep in touch this time, okay?”

 

Something tight and immeasurably guarded stirred in his chest as he took in his little brother, already half asleep. No matter what happened, no matter what the outcome between Atem and himself wound up being, he knew one thing for certain this time—he was never going to let him down again. “You have my word. Goodnight,

Mokuba.” 

 

“G’night, Seto.”

 

And Kaiba was left alone with his thoughts. 

 

* * *

 

Predictably, he didn’t take his brother’s advice right away. In fact, for the next two days, Kaiba hardly left his room at all. 

 

It wasn’t that he was _scared._ Kaiba didn’t fear conflict, and he especially didn’t fear in it regards to his rival. They had faced off plenty of times before, with stakes much higher than the ones at risk right now. Kaiba wasn’t _hiding,_ and anyone who claimed otherwise clearly didn’t know what he was capable of.

 

He just… wasn’t quite ready to see him yet. That was all. 

 

“ _Have you talked to him yet??”_ Mokuba had texted him the next day, to which he replied an embarrassingly vague “ _Someday.”_

 

His brother replied with a single, frustrated emoji. 

 

Sleep didn’t come easy for him. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought of Atem. Everytime he felt himself dozing off, dangling on the precipice of sleep, that kiss would flash in his mind, over and over again, until he was wide awake, sweat soaking through his sheets. It was like being back in his old life, plagued by nightmares and dealing with a sleep schedule he never realized affected him so much until he settled into Atem’s realm. Somehow, over the course of his stay, the pharaoh had molded him into something resembling a normal human being, and the lack of sleep made him completely _exhausted._

 

On top of that, his appetite was practically non existent, which he assumed was a new side effect of his shame. The servants had been attempting to deliver his food to him as they always did, and most of the time he elected to ignore them—and, on the off chance he didn’t, the concerned gazes they were giving him every time they caught so much as a glimpse of his face made him regret it. One had even tried to say something to him, to which he quickly slammed the door in their face. Eventually, they seemed to realize that the only way he’d take anything is if they left the tray outside of his door, and he could receive it away from prying eyes. 

 

Even then, a full meal was more than he could bring himself to stomach. More often than not, he was happy to leave the staff a half eaten plate and continue working in silence. 

 

Water, though. Water he’d had to slip out and grab regularly. There was just no avoiding it when you lived in the desert. Each time he did it, he kept expecting to turn the corner and come face to face with a pair of all too determined eyes, or find his rival standing at his bedroom door, waiting to entrap him. 

 

But Atem never showed up. If Kaiba had to guess, he’d almost say his rival was avoiding him too. 

 

He had seen him, once. Outside the palace, from far away. Kaiba’s room was front facing, so if he wished, he could look out from his balcony and see a good chunk of the kingdom, including the palace entrance. He had been out in the middle of the afternoon, during a break from tinkering with the goddamn useless cube he hadn’t been able to activate again. Dazed from starvation and lack of sleep, he had been staring aimlessly out into the horizon, when a familiar flash of violet and gold to his lower right made him jerk.

 

 Atem was outside his palace gates, speaking to one of the guards. It was too far away for Kaiba to properly hear him, but none of that seemed to matter when he was seeing his rival for the first time since their kiss and the shock of it was too great for him to turn away. Greedily, his eyes drank him in from afar. The pharaoh certainly _looked_ no worse for wear—he was just as shining and brilliant as he always was, like a gem among the sand, and Seto’s chest ached with a fierceness that nearly made his breath catch.

 

 It wasn’t fair, that he could look so stunning while Kaiba was still such a mess. It wasn’t fair that he was able to smile so pleasantly at his staff, benevolent as always like nothing had happened and the world was still spinning, and now he was turning and looking up toward Kaiba and _almost_ catching his eye and oh _fuck—_

 

Seto didn’t think he had leapt so fast and so gracelessly into a room before, but he had now. 

 

This was getting out of hand. 

 

He knew, rationally, that this was ridiculous. Kaiba was beginning to feel more and more like a prisoner in his own home, and all of it was his own doing. He felt like a coward now, hiding from his own rival in ways he would have never dreamed of doing before. 

 

Gradually—reluctantly—he came to the conclusion that he _had_ to confront him. Seto couldn’t keep living like this, shame filled and on edge, and he didn’t (yet) have a time machine that could take him back to the past. 

 

The first thing he did was text Ishizu, whose contact information he kept saved. It was helpful to know a member of the Egyptian government when it came to, say, receiving permits to excavate ancient grave sites. They had a bit of a contentious relationship, but he figured if anyone knew how to approach the situation without it completely blowing up in their face, it was her. 

 

_Let’s say, hypothetically, you’ve angered an ancient pharaoh and now your relationship is irrevocably damaged for the foreseeable future._ He texted late one night. _What would you do to gain back favor?_

 

She left him on read. 

 

The _nerve._

 

So he did the next best thing, which was leave his godforsaken room and walk to clear his head a little. If nobody had any decent ideas, he would come up with one himself, damn it, and he had come to value his daily walks for when it came to sorting through his head. It was nothing he would have done in his _own_ world, but here, where his time was free and responsibilities few, he took full advantage of the opportunity. 

 

He set out that night, slipping out of his room and venturing quietly into the palace corridors. It was late enough that he knew most of the palace was already asleep, leaving no one to harass him. Best of all, he knew for a fact that there would be no one guarding where he was going. 

 

* * *

 

The gardens, as expected, were almost eerily quiet in the middle of the night, especially with the usual sounds of nature absent. The plants were housed in a decent sized atrium with an open roof, which meant that during the day they were filled with all manners of birds and insects. Now though, there was nothing but moonlight illuminating the flowers, giving whoever entered them the feeling that it was just them and the sky alone. 

 

Kaiba was loathe to admit it, but the space relaxed him. He should have installed one in KaibaCorp’s tower when he had the chance. 

 

Life had been so simple then. 

 

Sighing, he forced himself to focus as he walked along the garden’s trails. Atem. He had to talk to Atem. What was the custom for making amends with an offended pharaoh, anyway? There was still a part of Kaiba that didn’t really want to apologize—he was still angry at Atem for blowing him off, after all—it was just he had messed up on an unprecedented level immediately afterwards. Should he just own it? March right up to the throne room and declare his feelings to Atem? Scream them out to the world, and accept whatever consequences would follow? 

 

His stomach gave a sickening lurch at the thought. Maybe throwing himself off a cliff had been a better idea after all. 

 

To his surprise, a gasp tore him from his thoughts as he turned a corner. Perplexed, Seto looked up, only for his veins to turn to ice as he met a pair of jewel-toned eyes from across the trail. 

 

Atem. Atem was here, and he was looking right at him and Kaiba made a strangled sound he only barely recognized as himself. 

 

_God._

 

_Oh god._

 

**_Fuck._ **

 

Kaiba was going to die. 

 

If he thought seeing him from afar was bad, it was nothing compared to seeing him face to face again. Atem’s eyes were wide and pretty, clearly as shocked to see Kaiba as he was to see him. Despite the dark, the moonlight made him seem almost ethereal, illuminating his skin and jewelry. His hand, which he appeared to have been holding against his chin, dropped limply to his side, giving Kaiba a clear view of his mouth falling open. 

 

Already, he could almost feel them on his own again, so soft and plush, and the combination of fire and horror rushing through his body left him _reeling._

 

He wanted to leave. Kaiba wanted to rush out and lock himself in his room forever. Never mind the time machine—he wanted to create some kind of mind wiping device and forget any of this had ever happened. 

 

Instead, he squared his shoulders and continued to move forward, wrenching his gaze away. Seto was _done_ running away. He refused to humiliate himself any longer. 

 

To his surprise, Atem did the same, averting his gaze and moving towards him like they were simply two strangers about to pass each other by. Once they were nearly shoulder to shoulder, he stopped, feet crunching on the ground below him. Kaiba did the same. Neither looked at each other. 

 

Finally, _finally,_ Atem spoke up, and Kaiba almost didn’t hear it over the pounding in his ears. “...Kaiba.” 

 

Seto gulped, and hoped that the fear wouldn’t show in his voice. “Atem.” 

 

For a moment, nothing happened. They simply stood, mutely shoulder to shoulder, like there was nothing at all to be said. Kaiba felt like his heart was going to explode if this went on much longer—he needed the pharaoh to _say something._

 

After a silence that felt like it had stretched on eons, he heard his rival let out a heavy sigh. Then, he was speaking again, and what he said made Kaiba’s eyes widen in shock. 

 

“...Seto.” 

 

Seto. Atem had never called him that before. He hated how _nice_ it was to hear him say it. 

 

“I wanted to apologize.” 

 

Oh god. This was it. This was the moment his rival rejected him, leaving him to nurse unrequited feelings for the rest of his life, ultimately destroying their relationship and leaving him alone forever. He braced himself.

 

“I shouldn’t have left you behind without saying anything.” 

 

Almost immediately, he was puzzled. That… hadn’t been what he had expected to hear. Apologizing for leaving him? Surely he didn’t mean… 

 

...Oh. _Oh._

 

Right. Their argument. 

 

“You don’t have to apologize to me.” He replied, too quickly, pride flaring on instinct. He was teetering off balance, veering from one emotion to another with an intensity that left him dizzy. It wasn’t that he hadn’t _wanted_ an apology, deep down—he knew that now. It had been so easy to just pretend, pretend he hadn’t been wounded by the pharaoh’s departure, pretend he was too strong and too powerful to be hurt by another person. But Seto had been facing a lot of unsavory facts about himself recently, and admitting this felt like a drop in the bucket compared to everything else that had happened. 

 

Still. Actually hearing him _say_ it…

 

“You’re right. But _I_ wanted to,” Atem insisted, voice low and full of regret. “And I think you want me to too.” 

 

Something about that did it for Kaiba. It was like every repressed emotion came spilling out, breaking through his carefully laid filters, leaving him open and vulnerable. It was beyond uncomfortable. But something about Atem had always drawn him out of his shell.

 

“You… you left me.” He ground out, wincing at the odd tightness in his throat. “You went and left me, like nothing we had ever _mattered_ to you. I left you on that airship, thinking we would eventually see each other again when I returned from America, only to hear _nothing_ for months. And did anyone think to tell me you were planning on throwing it all away? Did you or any one of your _friends_ ever think to ask me how I felt about all this? I had to find out through a completely unrelated call from fucking _Ishizu_ that you were dead.” 

 

That was a night he remembered vividly. It felt so far away now, but he couldn’t remember ever being that angry. His phone hadn’t made it out of the conversation alive.

 

“Do you know what that’s like? Finding out that your one and only rival was gone and did so _willingly,_ without sparing you even a backwards fucking glance? I thought… I thought…” 

 

_I thought we_ **_meant_ ** _something._

 

Atem, on his part, took it quietly, and that was almost worse than if they were yelling at each other. “No. I don’t know.” He murmured, and if noticed Kaiba’s trembling, he was too graceful to point it out. “But I do know what it’s like to lose sight of things that matter in pursuit of your destiny.” 

 

Kaiba didn’t really have anything to say to that, unable to trust himself. His rival took his pause as an indication to keep going. 

 

“When I heard losing that duel would end with me crossing over… it was all I could think about. My entire world was preparing for that duel, and maximizing as much time with my friends as I could. I knew there was a good chance I’d lose—my partner had become so strong and I believed in him. When I lost… I wanted to make leaving them as painless as I could. I didn’t even look back. It’s selfish, isn’t it?” He chuckled, and it was clear that there was no humor in it. “But when I realized I had never told you goodbye, I hated it. It was like a door to my old life I would never be able to shut.” 

 

He pressed on. “And yet… before I could mourn the missed opportunities, I realized there was no way Seto Kaiba was going to let me go without a fight.” This time, a genuine smile could be heard in his voice. “I knew you would come for me, one way or another. No rival of mine would ever give up. I took your determination for granted and never considered the pain you’d have to go through to find me again. So I am truly sorry, Seto. That wasn’t… that wasn’t the right way to treat someone I care about.”

 

Kaiba was stunned. Frozen. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Atem had never been quite so open with his emotions to him, even during their now countless visits, and for the first time, he wondered how much the pharaoh himself was sacrificing in order to tell him this. 

 

It was, somehow, exactly what he needed to hear. The storm inside him had quieted. 

 

Gulping, he nodded, a single jerk of his head. Neither of them were looking at each other, but he had a hunch Atem could tell. Atem could _always_ tell, and he knew words were unneeded. The bridge had been mended. 

 

“...I’ve been talking to Mokuba lately.” He suddenly found himself saying, uninhibited. “With the spell you gave me.” 

 

This time he could sense Atem’s eyes on them, for the first time since they’d spotted each other. “Really?” 

 

“Mmm. He was thrilled. I promised him I’d stay in touch.” 

 

Atem’s voice was warm, familiarly so, and it made Kaiba’s chest tighten to hear it as he said, “I am pleased to hear that, Seto.” 

 

It was as much of an admission of guilt as he could manage at the moment. He knew, too, that the pharaoh understood that as well. 

 

There was something that _hadn’t_ been settled though. The big one. The elephant in the room. Kaiba was just waiting for him to drop the bomb, to crush him once and for all. His entire body was tense, and his heart was pounding. He didn’t want to hear him say it, but at the same time he was desperate for it, and as the silence between them stretched on, he wondered, horrified, if the pharaoh wasn’t planning on saying anything to him at all. Atem was motionless beside him, and he knew _he_ knew what he was waiting for, and yet he made no move to relieve him of his agony. 

 

Fuck, why wasn’t he _saying_ anything?

 

They had only been standing there for about a minute, but to Seto, it might as while have been eternity. Grimacing, he came to the terrible realization that his rival wasn’t going to resolve this after all. Maybe that was it. Maybe that had been his answer all along. Atem was going to reject him by _not_ rejecting him, at least for now, and he would have to live with the consequences. 

 

Trying and failing to stamp down the despair rising up within him, Kaiba swallowed, clenching his jaw tight. “Well then. I guess I’ll be going to bed.” He somehow got out, already making his way to leave the garden. 

 

“... _Seto._ Wait.” 

 

Kaiba very nearly tripped in his haste to stop. Oh god. Here it was. There was something heavy in Atem’s voice, and all he could do was brace himself for impact. 

 

“I want you to meet me in my chambers in one hour.” His rival said, finally, and it was clear that he was being careful choosing his words. “If you decline…” Atem paused, sending Kaiba’s already whirlwind thoughts into a frenzy. “Then I’ll consider that your answer to the questions I have.” 

 

Having said his peace, Seto heard the telltale sounds of the pharaoh leaving the garden, footsteps fading out until they could no longer be heard. Kaiba, on the other hand, was rooted to the spot. 

 

Atem wanted to see him. He wanted him in his room. To answer a question. Questions his imagination could only run wild about. 

 

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Kaiba resigned himself to death.

 

* * *

 

That next hour was quite possibly the longest, and the shortest, of Kaiba’s life. He hardly even knew where he went after he was left alone—at some point, he must have wandered out of the garden and around the palace in a daze, mentally rehearsing whatever possible response he could come up with for his rival. Seto, after all, was a strategist. If there was any possible way he could salvage what was about to happen, he wanted to be ready. It was lucky for him it was such a late hour, because anyone who saw him furiously pacing the halls muttering to himself would have thought he was crazy. 

 

It still wasn’t enough. It didn’t _feel_ like enough. 

 

And then before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance to Atem’s chambers. 

 

_Get it together, Seto,_ he thought hopelessly, _you’re better than this._ There were no guards protecting the room, like there usually was—Atem had shown him where it was located before, just in case he needed anything—and his frayed mind couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All he knew was that the moment he stepped beyond those doors, for better or worse, everything would change.

 

_Screw it_. Kaiba refused to endure the torment any longer. Taking in a lungful of air, he knocked on the door, pushing it open at Atem’s affirmative and stepping over the threshold. 

 

Two things became immediately apparent to him. 

 

One: Atem’s room, not unexpectedly, was much bigger and more ornate than his. The pharaoh had hardly skimped on Kaiba’s own bedroom, but his own personal space was almost double the size of his, furnished with a gigantic bed and various Egyptian statues and treasures. If he looked closer, he could notice several ancient games scattered about, an endearing personal touch in what he assumed was a fairly standard room for a pharaoh. 

 

Two: Atem was sitting, cross legged, behind a very familiar game board.

 

“Kaiba! I knew you’d come.” 

 

Seto might as well be walking to his execution. 

 

“...A chess board?” He asked, dumbly, feeling oddly removed from the situation even as he stepped forward. “How did you get a—“

 

“I conjured it.” Atem replied, as casual as if he did it all the time. “This was a bit after my time, but I remembered the game well enough from my time with Yugi. I heard you were fond of it?”

 

Fond of it? Kaiba may had directed nearly all of his attention to Duel Monsters in recent years, but he was still one of the top players in the world. Haltingly, he nodded.

 

“Then I’m sure you wouldn’t be opposed to joining me for a quick game.” 

 

Despite his deepening sense of dread, Kaiba felt the corner of his lip quirk upwards. “In the middle of the night? I thought you were the one always lecturing me to rest.” He jabbed, already sitting down on the opposite end despite his protest. 

 

The look on Atem’s face was unreadable, but Seto swore he saw a ghost of a smile there, and clung on to it with all he had. “I figured you couldn’t turn down a challenge.” 

 

“Hmph. I hope you know what you’re doing.” 

 

For a brief moment, something burned behind Atem’s eyes, and then it was gone before Kaiba even had a chance to process it. “I think I do.” 

 

And so the game began. 

 

For the next few minutes, they played in relative stillness. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Atem _was_ skilled—which made sense, considering it wasn’t all that different from Senet, and the pharaoh was infuriatingly skilled at everything he did. He maneuvered his pieces across the board coolly, confidently, with Kaiba countering him wherever he could. Cautious. On the defense. It was a far cry from his usual playstyle, but he was distracted enough trying to keep his hands from shaking every time he felt Atem’s gaze on him. He couldn’t afford to show weakness here. He had to control himself this time. 

 

“What do you think of me, Seto?”

 

Kaiba’s hand jerked so hard he nearly knocked over two of his rooks. “What?”

 

If Atem noticed his nerves, he wasn’t showing it. His face remained impassive as ever. “I mean, how do you view the pair of us? Our relationship. We’ve spent all this time together, and I’ve never asked you.” 

 

His brow furrowed in confusion. That… hadn’t _exactly_ been the question he’d been expecting. Kaiba had prepared for something more along the lines of _where are your personal boundaries_ , or _why did you kiss me?_ Or even worse, _was that a joke?_ “What a pointless question.” 

 

“Then it costs you nothing to answer it.” 

 

If these were the kinds of questions he was going to be asking, then maybe Seto didn’t have anything to worry about. “You’re my goal. My one and only rival.” He said as easily as breathing, moving his player piece with purpose. “You’re the only one worthy of challenging me— _capable_ of challenging me. We were meant to battle on for eternity as the fiercest opponents either of our dimensions has ever seen. Check.” 

 

Atem nodded, lips pursing as he studied the board. Kaiba had to look away out of fear he’d imagine kissing them again. “I still remember our first meetings.” He smiled, voice brimming with an odd sort of nostalgia. “You were so _angry—_ at the world, at your brother. At yourself. For a while, I wondered if you were like every other person who had attacked my partner. But no, something about you was different—I wanted to give you another chance, and I’m glad I did. Who could have guessed we’d end up where we are now?” A chuckle, and then he continued on. “I truly value you as my friend, you know. And you feel the same for me, don’t you?” 

 

Already, Kaiba felt like he was slipping, meaning that question alone was, shamefully, enough for him to falter. This wasn’t playing out the way he’d pictured it at _all._ He’d been expecting something far more direct, not… whatever Atem was playing at now. The way he was talking now, so fondly even as he touched on some of their worst encounters, was enough to make Kaiba flush from the tips of his ears. And now he wanted _him_ to say it, too? It was a miracle he could even devote a tenth of his brain to the chess game. 

 

At a loss for words, he stayed silent, shooting him an unimpressed glare. _Idiot. You’re my_ **_only_ ** _friend._

 

As expected, Atem seemed to understand. The smirk plastered on his face was far too self satisfied otherwise.

 

And it was just as well too, because game-wise, he was gaining on Kaiba at a rate he honestly found embarrassing. The pharaoh _checked_ him once again and continued, eyes falling shut. 

 

“Have you ever had a friend before now, Seto?”

 

Okay, now Kaiba was starting to get irritated. Where the hell did Atem come off psycho-analyzing him? It felt like he was being toyed with, and it was tearing at his already frazzled nerves. “This may come as a shock to you, but between being abandoned by my family, overthrowing my step-father, and rebuilding his company from the ground up, I didn’t exactly have time for _friends.”_ He growled, making a feeble, stilted attempt to corner any of his rival’s pawns. “Why are you asking me questions you already know the answers to? We’re wasting time.” 

 

He watched, wary, as Atem took in a breath—measured, like he was preparing for something. For a split second, Seto wondered if he had offended him somehow, only for all thoughts to evaporate once the pharaoh’s eyelids fluttered open again. His eyes were _burning,_ nearly ruby red under the candlelight, and so much _more_ than they had been earlier, more than Kaiba had ever seen them. 

 

“Any lovers?” He rumbled, voice at a near whisper. 

 

This time, Kaiba really _did_ jerk, violently knocking several game pieces over with a clatter and nearly swallowing his own tongue in the process. “ _What_?!”

 

“Ahhh. That answers that then.” Atem blinked slowly, his gaze not leaving him for a second. “I suppose I would have heard otherwise.” 

 

Kaiba’s mind had hit a snag, mouth opening and closing repeatedly as his head filled with what felt like static. He wanted to say something so bad, the back of his head swirling with a million questions, but nothing was coming out, leaving him gaping like an idiot while everything else within him struggled for balance. Atem had _never_ been so brazen with him before. In all of their conversations, never once had the subject of _lovers_ come up, and normally Seto would have doubted he even heard right, had it not been for those eyes rooting him to the spot. 

 

“E- _Excuse_ me?” He stammered, nearly wincing at the tremor in his voice once he got it back. 

 

Atem seemed far too pleased with his results, resting his head in his hands and peering at Kaiba through his lashes over the table. Their game had been completely forgotten about now, the pieces askew, but his rival had him cornered literally and figuratively, and he knew it. He spoke under his breath, but Seto heard it as if it had been whispered in his ear, surrounding him, leaving him with no method of escape. “Was I your first kiss then, too?”

 

It came out as a near purr, sending a cold jolt down Seto’s spine and settling like lead in his stomach. Atem had never looked more alluring, smile lazy and satisfied, like the cat that got the cream, but this time, it only solidified the feeling that was rising up steadily from Kaiba’s gut. 

 

The force of it made him clench his fists from where they sat limp in his lap, and, dimly, he realized what it was—anger.

 

“Are you making _fun_ of me?” 

 

For the first time since they sat down, he saw Atem falter, taken off-guard. His previously self satisfied little smile curled into a frown and his brows furrowed, as if he was genuinely baffled at the response he was getting. “What? No, I—“

 

“Then what’s the point of all this? If you’re mocking me—“ Kaiba spat through clenched teeth, trying to reign in the tremors in his body and not doing a very good job of it _._ “Asking me these questions even though you… you have to know how I feel, and if this is some kind of punishment, if you’re _playing_ with me…”

 

“I… Kaiba,” Atem looked genuinely panicked now, eyes wide and face draining of color, “that’s—that’s not at _all_ what I mean—“

 

“Then what _did_ you mean?!” There was a shameful burn behind Kaiba’s eyes and he blinked hard, hating how the room around them was blurring around the edges. He had known he would be rejected, knew Atem didn’t think about anyone like that, but he hadn’t expected it all to be thrown back in his face so cunningly. It hurt, and he loathed that it hurt, loathed that Atem was always able to lure these emotions out of him. For once in his life, he wanted to skip the games and get straight to the fucking point. “”What, precisely, did you mean by bringing me here? If you’re looking down on me… if you’re _pitying_ me…”

 

His throat closed up, leading to him snapping his jaw shut. He didn’t trust himself to go on any further, not when so many uncontrollable emotions were fighting their way out of his body. He wanted to leave. He wanted to get up and leave and this time _actually_ invent that stupid time machine. His pride, beaten but still there, unfortunately had other ideas. 

 

Atem, on his part, was the very definition of deer in the headlights, looking desperately around the room like something there would salvage this, all previous confidence vanished. Any other time, Kaiba might have laughed at how obviously flustered he was, but now the reality of what was happening between them was starting to kick in and he just felt frustrated and alone. He couldn’t stand to look at him anymore.

 

So beautiful and warm. Unattainable. Just like he had always been, and just like he always would be. 

 

“If you want to end this, then tell me now so I can leave.”

 

He couldn’t believe he was putting it out there, but there it was, and it was up to his rival to do what he liked with the offer. Kaiba would force himself to accept whatever he chose. 

 

For a moment, everything was still. Then, he heard another deep, steadying breath followed by the sound of table legs creaking and chess pieces scattering across the board. Before he could even process _that_ , he opened his eyes to find Atem on his hands and knees in front of him, his face mere inches from his own. 

 

“ _Kiss me."_

 

* * *

 

For Kaiba, time didn’t so much stand still as it did come to a screeching halt.

 

“ _What."_

 

“You heard what I said. Kiss me.”

 

He felt like he’d been slapped in the face. His entire body was numb, immovable and cold. His mouth hung open. His heart, which had been thundering moments before, skipped a few beats. This wasn’t real. He couldn’t have heard what he heard. He hardly recognized his own voice. 

 

“ ** _What_**.”

 

“You were demanding that I tell you what I want, right?” Atem stared back at him unblinkingly, like he hadn’t just shattered Kaiba’s soul. “I’m telling you to kiss me.”

 

All at once, reality seemed to snap back into place along with Seto’s pounding heartbeat, rushing back with a force that made him choke on an undignified noise. This was a hallucination. It _had_ to be. The stress of living his old life behind and his fight with Atem had officially broken his mind, and now it was concocting elaborate fantasies, ones he only ever dared to enjoy in the privacy of his own bed and convincing him they were really there. Atem didn’t just ask people to kiss him. Atem was noble and good, obnoxiously so, and only ever had an interest in battle as far as Seto could tell. He didn’t just throw himself at people, and especially not _Kaiba,_ as much as he would have liked otherwise. 

 

But contrary to popular belief, Seto didn’t just deny the reality that was happening right before his eyes, even if it didn’t align with his own. Atem was _real_ and present, his face filling his vision to the point where he couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. His expression, full of tenacity and concentration, wouldn’t have been at all out of place across the battlefield had it not been for the dusting of red across his cheeks, or the way he practically stared into Kaiba’s soul.

 

He was so close that he could feel his breath fanning across his cheek. This near Kaiba could practically _smell_ him, something spicy and heady and also uniquely him. A throb of heat pooled in his core as he took him in and he was suddenly aware that he was trembling. 

 

“This… this better not be a joke.” He gulped, voice hoarse. 

 

“I would _never_ joke about this.” Atem’s gaze sharpened, just for an instant, before melting back into the lovely, heavy lidded look that had been there before. “Kiss me, Seto.”

 

The tension was getting unbearable. The situation was getting more and more real by the second, and Kaiba was steadily losing himself in the heat of those eyes, the inviting bow of his lips. Fuck, he wanted this so bad. An hour ago, he was so sure that he was going to be politely shut down at _best,_ and now here Atem was, giving himself to him openly. Suddenly, he couldn’t stop thinking of how soft his lips felt against his, how right they felt. Seto was going to lose his _mind_ if neither of them acted soon. 

 

Kaiba had been wrong. This was real. This was more real than anything he’d ever felt in his life. 

 

Before he could act, however, he just needed to get one thing straight. Taking a shuddering breath, he met Atem’s stare with his usual guarded one. “ _Why_?”

 

Impossibly, they seemed to have gotten closer. Atem’s nose practically brushed against his now. From this vantage point, Seto was startled to see that he was trembling too. “I want to see what I think about it. Kiss me.”

 

That was enough to give him pause, if only with the last remaining thread of his sanity—although his rival’s tremors gave him a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t nearly that simple. “That’s all?” He asked, breathless, wetting his lips unconsciously. 

 

Atem’s eyes followed the movement of his tongue like a predator about to strike, and through the wave of arousal that hit him, Kaiba was reminded not for the first time of their duels. When the pharaoh met his eyes again, there was something far more vulnerable in them—a connection that they always shared. A bond Seto trusted, and, impossibly, put his doubts at ease.

 

Slowly, softly, Atem replied, “ _No_.”

 

And so he leaned in and closed the distance between them. 

 

The first kiss was quick, chaste. Kaiba wanted to do nothing more than throw himself against Atem, to take whatever he was willing to give, but he wanted so, _so_ badly to get this right this time, and he was unsure what the other man was comfortable with. Their lips brushed feather light against each other, and it was both too much and not nearly enough all at once. He hardly had the time to appreciate it before anxiety kicked in and he forced himself to pull away, dizzy with elation.

 

Atem looked contemplative when they drew apart, eyes scrunched shut and brows tilting upwards like he was thinking hard. It was such an un-Atem expression that Seto might have laughed had he not been so terrified of his _true_ reaction—at this point, the thought of the pharaoh rejecting him was almost too much to bear. Finally, _finally,_ his expression smoothed out and their eyes met again, and the renewed determination Kaiba saw there ignited a spark of hope in his chest. 

 

Interested. Atem looked _interested._

 

“Again.” He commanded, spoken just loudly enough for the two of them to hear. 

 

Again, Seto was helpless to resist. 

 

The next kiss was longer, more awkward, but more than enough to make Kaiba’s brain feel like it was leaking through his ears. He allowed Atem to take the lead this time, and the subtle, testing movements of his lips against his made him clench his fists with the force of holding himself back. Atem was _lovely,_ even more soft and inviting than he remembered, and if this was all there was ever going to be between them, he made sure to commit every single detail to memory, relishing in his closeness. His rival gave him one peck, then two before seemingly finding a rhythm he liked and sliding his lips intoxicatingly against Seto’s own, drawing a low whine out of his throat he was embarrassed to admit was his own.

 

“Again.” He repeated when the two of them drew back for air. This time, Kaiba didn’t hesitate. 

 

He was a far more active participant this time, haltingly following Atem’s movements with his own, knocking the tips of their noses together a few times before deepening the kiss. The awkwardness slowly began to ebb away, replaced with something much hungrier and needy, and keeping himself from simply diving into his rival was the hardest thing he had ever done in his _life._ Atem was matching him movement for movement, reaching out to gently cup his face in his hand, and Seto deliriously leaned into it, drowning in him completely and simultaneously craving _more._

 

_This is happening,_ he had to tell himself. This was really, actually _happening,_ and it was so much better than he could have ever hoped for, Atem was kissing him, he had a chance, _he had a chance._

 

A tentative, almost shy swipe of tongue against his lower lip made him reel back with a sharp gasp, momentarily struck dumb by the the bolt of arousal that made its way to his groin. He’s quickly losing his faculties, and he knew Atem could see it—his body wracked with tremors, his chest heaving. It was too much. Any moment now, his last shred of resistance would be gone, swept away by the torrent of _want_ rising inside him. It was terrifying, how quickly Atem rendered him useless with just a kiss, but when he finally opened his eyes, he could see he wasn’t alone.

 

The look his rival was giving him now was _different,_ now _,_ and Kaiba practically melted under the heat of his gaze. He was used to Atem’s fierce glares and sneers—so infuriating as an opponent but so addictive—but none of that came close to what he saw in him now. Atem’s eyes were _blazing_ , mouth hanging open as he took in gulps of air. It was so much _more_ than it had been earlier, and it made Kaiba want to touch him, to grab him and never let him leave again, and as crazy as it sounded, he now almost believed the pharaoh would let him. He looked nearly as wrecked as Seto felt, and for the first time since their incident in the hallway, he wondered if the two of them had been more on the same page than he thought. 

 

He had been a fool, Seto thought somewhere where he wasn’t kiss-drunk and stupid. They could have been doing _this_ all that time.

 

“ _Atem,_ ” he choked out, startled at how far gone he sounded. He wasn’t really sure what he was asking for, but he needed _something,_ and his rival was the only man—the only _person_ he ever wanted it from. 

 

“Yes,” Atem replied, like he had said something anywhere near coherent, and ran his fingers through his hair. Once settled on the back of his head, he _gripped,_ holding Seto in place and swaying unsteadily on his knees. “ _Again.”_

 

At that, Kaiba felt his last thread of self restraint snap. 

 

There was a commotion, and he realized he must have lunged at his rival, because now they were both on the table, shoving off player pieces in their wake. Their teeth and noses knocked together painfully, enough to draw a noise of surprise out of Atem, but Seto couldn’t have cared less. It was impossible to care when he was finally, fucking _finally_ kissing him like he always wanted to, all aggression and longing. It was uncoordinated and messy, completely unlike anything they had ever experienced together before, where everything was so measured and calculated. Seto decided wouldn’t have had it any other way, clutching his partner to him like a lifeline. Atem’s palms were flailing helplessly against his back before he seemed to get his bearings, throwing his arms around Kaiba’s neck and drawing them in even closer. 

 

This time around, their tongues met without preamble and he _moaned_ as it slipped and teased against his own, rendering him unable to do anything more than bury his hands in that stupid hair and _pull_. Even in kissing Atem always seemed to meet him where he was at, rising to whatever challenge he placed in front of him and then some. 

 

Kissing him like this felt _right,_ like it was what he had been born to do, and all at once everything he had sacrificed to be here felt worth it. 

 

By the time they broke apart for breath, both of them were panting like they had been running a marathon. “ _Atem,”_ Seto gasped between kisses, shifting uncomfortably. He was painfully hard now, his cock trapped in his too-tight pants, and each brush of skin only made it worse. “ _God,_ Atem—look at what you _do_ to me.” 

 

“I know, I know,” Atem rumbled in return, torso brushing _dangerously_ close to his groin. _Closer, closer_.

 

“No, no, listen to me,” Kaiba dove back in for another kiss, already hopelessly addicted to the taste of him. He tasted like wine with an undercurrent that was just him and him alone, and he felt like he was drunk on it. “No one else can do this to me, understand, you make everything inside of me crazy, I _burn_ for you.” He was rambling thoughtlessly now, every bit of repressed longing spilling from him uncontrollably. His lips moved over his partners face, kissing his nose, his cheeks. 

 

“Seto…” The hands at his back curled into his shoulders.

 

Atem sounded nearly as lost as he was, and the knowledge that he was responsible for that was like fire in his veins. “I’m the only one worthy of you,” Kaiba growled, kissing down the long, sinuous line of his rival’s neck. “Tell me I’m the only one worthy.” 

 

“You’ve always been worthy.” Atem gulped, with Seto happily following the bob of his Adam’s apple up his throat. “Seto, I— _ahh!”_ Once at the space behind his ear, he latched on, nibbling at the sensitive skin. 

 

From there, two things happened. One: Atem _moaned,_ the sound echoing off the stone walls of the room as he threw his head back, reigniting the heat coursing through Seto until it was at its boiling point. 

 

Two: the flood of _want_ caused him to jerk against Atem, gasping, and it was made abundantly clear to Kaiba that he wasn’t the only one whose interest had been roused. 

 

Slowly, he pulled away to take the pharaoh in, feeling a rush of pride when he saw _devoured_ he looked. His hair was in a complete disarray, more so than usual, his lips were red and kiss swollen, and a pretty flush sat high on his cheeks. His eyes were wide and blown out, like even he was surprised by his reaction, and it made Kaiba want to kiss him all over again. Their chests heaved together and during that moment of silence, Seto wondered if he had gone a little too far. 

 

Then, his rival seemed to come to a decision, and his eyes settled into a dreamy look that was practically sin itself. “ _Bed.”_

 

Kaiba didn’t think he had ever moved so fast. 

 

They were on Atem’s hilariously oversized bed before he even realized that he had hoisted him into his arms. Amazingly, Atem not only allowed it but seemingly encouraged it, biting and licking at his neck as his legs locked around Kaiba’s hips. It was all he could do to make it there without tripping over himself, and falling into the softness of the mattress was a relief in more ways than one. 

 

The pair of them tussled against each other for a while, rolling around the bed before settling on their sides, each one moving to claim the other’s mouth. Any semblance of control Seto might have had was _gone_ at this point, and he greedily took in any part of his rival’s body he possibly could—his tongue, the inviting slope of his neck, his exposed shoulders. Admired the contrast of his dark skin again his own. A part of him still couldn’t believe this was happening, that they were really tangled together like this, but Kaiba was _not_ complaining. Atem met him back tenfold—because of course he did—like he was battling him to see who was the most passionate, and Seto felt a flash of a smile against his lips at the noise that tore from him when he rocked his hips against his own. 

 

Fuck, _fuck._ If Atem didn’t do something soon, he was going to cum in his pants like a teenager. Something akin to a whine and a growl rose up within him through their kiss, and he was too lost in the sensation of it all to feel embarrassed. This was so much more than he could have ever imagined, and he _needed_ that release like nothing else, to completely surrender himself to the feeling of it all. 

 

“Atem, Atem, _god…”_

 

“I’m here,” came the murmured reply, soothing and arousing all at once. Their gaze met, and an unspoken question passed between them 

 

_Are you sure?_ Atem’s eyes asked, fiery but full of telltale compassion.

 

_More than anything,_ Kaiba responded, with his mind and his body and whatever magic forces could have been at play, because honestly, you never knew with Atem. As scary as it should have been, he couldn’t find it in him to feel nervous when his rival was looking at him like that. 

 

He had faith in him. More than anyone. 

 

An understanding passed between them, felt more than seen. Apparently satisfied _,_ Atem kissed him, and reached out to undo Seto’s zipper with trembling hands. 

 

Of course Atem understood, he thought dizzily, body crying out with relief as his cock was freed. Atem _always_ seemed to understand what he needed, even if it was something he hadn’t realized yet. 

 

“Oh, _god-!”_

 

His rival’s hands on him were warm and impossibly soft, wrapping around his shaft and sending all of his synapses haywire. He touched him almost experimentally at first, stroking his length slowly and studying Kaiba’s face for any sort of feedback, eyes hard with determination. Seto could hardly think, could hardly breathe as the first teasing waves of pleasure washed over him. Already this was _so_ much better than touching himself, and the moan he let out when Atem teased tip of his cock with his thumb was far too loud to be dignified. He needed _more._ Swinging his hips forward, he buried himself in Atem’s neck, sinking his teeth into all of the places he remembered from earlier and feeling proud of himself for his ingenuity when the pharaoh responded with another sinful moan and the quickening of his hand. 

 

It was more than Seto had ever experienced before, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered how much he’d _needed_ this, how long he’d craved this touch, this scenario—how long he had craved _Atem,_ and hadn’t even realized it. For once he allowed himself to get lost in the pleasure of it all and let his body do the talking. He wasn’t going to last long, he could tell, but none of that mattered, because deep down he felt _alive_. Just like he did when they were dueling, just like he had when he defeated Atem on that fateful day.

 

Just like what he felt when he first stepped out of that ship, knew they would see each other again. 

 

Seto was teetering close to the edge, and he’d been stifling his noises in Atem’s shoulder before he decided that his lips would do the job just as well, recapturing them and kissing him incoherently while Atem swore something whispered against his mouth. There was shuffling, and then a new sensation against his cock, and Kaiba almost came on the spot when he realized that his rival had rid himself of his own undergarments and was now grinding his length against his. Atem seemed bound and determined to get what he wanted, hooking his legs around one of Kaiba’s and digging nails into his back. They moved together chaotically, and it was so _good,_ too good—Seto wanted to memorize every detail, forcing himself to keep his eyes open even as he felt himself hurtling closer to the edge. 

 

Their coupling could have gone on days, hours—time wasn’t really a _thing_ for Kaiba at this point—but in reality was probably only a few minutes. Atem did something devious with his hips, and whether it was the knowledge that he was having his rival so intimately or simply a particularly pointed thrust, Seto was cumming _hard,_ jerking and muffling his shout against his neck. It felt like it went on forever, draining him of everything he had, and somewhere beyond his ecstasy he was aware of Atem following after him, moaning his name against his ear. 

 

The pair of them collapsed together, laying in a sweaty, boneless heap. Kaiba’s mind was pleasantly full of _nothing_ , and for a moment, he felt more satiated than he had ever been. Nothing else mattered but the warm body in his arms and the contentment purring through his veins. Then Atem was pulling away, stumbling off of the bed in search of something, and the full force of what had just happened hit him like a truck. 

 

He had kissed Atem.

 

_They_ had kissed. 

 

They had kissed and rolled around in bed and somewhere in the process had gotten each other off. 

 

Oh, _god._

 

He rolled himself over, facing away from where Atem was now shuffling around looking for… something. None of it mattered at this point. What _did_ matter was that his pants were halfway down his legs and his stomach was coated with a mixture of both his and Atem’s release and he had _no idea what to do now._

 

What would Atem say to him? Did he like it? Had Seto even been a worthy partner? He assumed he had been, given the evidence on his chest, but this was entirely new territory for him. It wasn’t like he had any past experience to draw from. He curled in on himself and tried to think rationally through his panic. What if Atem decided it hadn’t been worth it? And the end of the day, this… whatever this had been was a two way street.

 

Would he even be able to live without doing this again? Because he already found himself really, _really_ wanting to do it again. 

 

Then the bed shifted, and he felt Atem curling in behind him, and he gradually felt all his worries dissipate like the fade of a hologram. His rival was gentle with him, cleaning up the mess they made with what seemed to be a damp cloth and kissing the back of his neck when he jumped at the cooling sensation. Once satisfied, he threw the cloth somewhere off the bed and hooked a leg around Kaiba’s hips, nuzzling into his shoulder blades with a sigh. Minutes passed between them before the silence was broken, and he was beginning to wonder if Atem had fallen asleep until he spoke up again. 

 

“I won.” 

 

A beat. Kaiba blinked once, twice before craning his neck over his shoulder to stare warily at his rival. “...What?”

 

“I won,” Atem said, and his expression was some bizarre combination of embarrassed and smug all at once. “You came first.” 

 

It took Seto longer than he would like to admit to put two and two together. Everything felt too hazy for thinking—it was impossible not to give in to the buzz. Really, it was a miracle he could even comprehend anything at all. 

 

When he finally realized what was happening, he growled and attempted to roll over. “You cocky little—“

 

“Shhhhh,” Atem soothed, holding Kaiba in place and running a hand through his hair. “Sleep now. You look exhausted.” 

 

And Kaiba wanted to argue with him, wanted to pin him down and ravage him with biting kisses, but as much as he was loathe to admit it, the pharaoh was right—he had barely slept in three days, and the rollercoaster that had been their evening had completely taken everything out of him. Huffing, he acquiesced, savoring having Atem’s lithe body against his own and allowing the patterns he was tracing along his chest to lull him to sleep.

 

That night, he slept better than he had in _ages._

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter shouldn't take as long, she said. I'm going on vacation, I'll have plenty of time to write, she said. 
> 
> hahAAA, I'm so sorry. orz 
> 
> But hey, it's up now and hopefully it was worth the wait! Again, thank you all so, SO much for your amazing support, I'm still just completely blown away by it! It really helped me get through writing this behemoth. I have some things I need to take care of IRL, so I may take a little bit of a break before writing the next chapter, but rest assured I'm dedicated to finishing this thing! 
> 
> Also, before I go, [Potatsalad](https://twitter.com/potatsalad) on twitter made yet another absolutely adorable piece of art from the last chapter!! [Look at this.](https://ton.twitter.com/1.1/ton/data/dm/1137909395516534788/1137908792409165824/dEnT4Nts.png:large) Look at how ADORABLE he is I can't even

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from “Starlight” by Muse. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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